IDAHO FALLS, ID—JULY 4, 2018—Sandy Downs hosted trial races for the Idaho Cup Futurity and Idaho Cup Derby on Wednesday's 4th of July race card. Both 2-year-olds and 3-year-olds must be foaled in Idaho to be eligible to participate. The 10 fastest qualifiers from each group of trials will return to the Idaho Falls raceway on Saturday, July 20th to vie for the winner's purse in their respective finals.

Idaho Cup Futurity Trials

Stakes-placed He Looks Royal broke his maiden in the second of three trials to get the fastest qualifying time for the $30,000-est. Idaho Cup Futurity. Ridden by jockey Jesus Canales He Looks Royal completed the 350 yards in :17.593 seconds to defeat Pickle Dilly by one-length. Racing into a 5 mph crosswind he earned a 95 speed index.

Leading Idaho trainer Mark Hanson saddled the son of Royal Shake Em for owners' RTM Stables LLC, Larry Chapple and Dick Wasia. Chapple, Wasia and J. Hanson bred the gray gelding from the Feature Mr Jess mare Mothers Gift. He Looks Royal entered the trials off a second-place finish in Bitterroot Juvenile at Sandy Downs on June 22nd. He was also a finalist in the Rocky Mountain Spring Classic Futurity in May.

Runner-up Pickle Dilly, put in a game effort from the outside to hang onto the second fastest time of :17.725 seconds, a 91 speed index. Trainer Jarrett Mills saddled the homebred son of champion sire The Louisiana Cartel for owner/breeder Dave Merrit. Leonardo Gonzales was riding.

In the final trial Mommas Dynasty defeated Jodee B Valiant by one-length to get the third fastest clocking of :17.787 seconds. The stakes-placed daughter of world champion sire FDD Dynasty flew from the gate under jockey Danny Marshall.

Trainer Jessica Hadley conditions the Idaho homebred for owner/breeders Edward and Von Zae McNelis. Third in the Hadley/Giles Memorial Futurity in May, the brown filly is out of Bye Sweet Girl by Dashin Bye. She earned nearly $12,000 this season.

CLICK HERE for a complete list of the Idaho Cup Futurity finalists with their times, sires, dams, owners, breeders, trainers and jockeys.

Idaho Cup Derby Trials

Stakes-placed Dashair Special was an easy winner under jockey Jesus Canales Saturday when he rolled to a 1-¾ length victory in the first of two trials for the Idaho Cup Derby. The altered son of multiple stakes sire Dashair recorded the top qualifying time of :19.435 seconds, a 105 speed index for the 400 yards.

Dashair Special was the first of two derby trial winners and finalists saddled by trainer Mark Hanson. The bay gelding races for owner/breeder Larry Chapple and is out of the Special Leader mare Special Truth.

Dashair Special finished out last season with a third-place effort in the Hawthorne IdaBet.com Futurity-Division 2, but failed to break his maiden in five starts. In 2018 he is a perfect 3-for-3 and won the Pocatello Downs Maiden Frolic (not black type) May 28th. He has earned $15,652.

Hanson's second qualifier came in the closing trial when The Bossgirl, under jockey Nikeela Black, posted a 1½ length win over Lucken Bach to get the third fastest time of :19.734 seconds, a 96 speed index.

A-Arrow Ranch owns the Class Jump filly from the Dash Ta Fame mare Fanny B. Second in the Idaho Cup Futurity last year, the bay filly has compiled a (9) 2-3-0 record and banked just over $6,000. Shannon Renee Akerstrom is the breeder.

For a complete list of the Idaho Cup Derby finalists with their times, sires, dams, owners, breeders, trainers and jockeys CLICK HERE.