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© Ernesto Salinas / StallioneSearch
RUIDOSO DOWNS, NM—SEPTEMBER 2, 2018—Hotstepper, a $63,000 Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale purchase, would not be denied while defeating last year’s All American Futurity winner Fly Baby Fly in the Grade 1 $1,237,604 All American Derby at Ruidoso Downs on Sunday afternoon.
The $100,000 First Down Dash (see related story), the race before the All American Derby, was taken by Intense Fire. Also at 440 yards, the First Down Dash is for three-year-olds who did not qualify for the All American Derby.
Owned by R.D. Hubbard, Johnny Cope, Ray Willis and Butch Southway, Hotstepper raced the 440 yards in :21.274 over a wet-fast track with champion jockey Cody Jensen aboard. Jensen won the Grade 1, $200,000 All American Gold Cup two races earlier on the program.
It was Jensen’s second win in the All American Derby. Co-owner Hubbard and trainer Sleepy Gilbreath each recorded their fourth All American Gold victories. Jensen, Hubbard and Gilbreath are members of the Ruidoso Downs’ Racehorse Hall of Fame.
Hotstepper got a clean break at the start and was immediately in contention. The gelding by One Famous Eagle charged throughout the quarter mile to get the neck win over the much-improved Fly Baby Fly.
The gritty Pawpaws Paint fought between Hotstepper and Fly Baby Fly to finish third, a neck behind Fly Baby Fly.
Hotstepper has been a warrior at the Grade 1 level. He was a close second in the $874,000 Texas Classic Futurity and third in the Grade 1, $3,000,000 All American Futurity. He also qualified for the Rainbow Futurity and the Rainbow Derby. He became a millionaire with the All American Derby win. He has career earnings of $1,086,215.
A win in the All American Derby also garnered Hotstepper a spot in the Champion of Champions at Los Alamitos in December.
Fly Baby Fly Partnership’s Fly Baby Fly raced to her best finish since winning last year’s Grade 1, $3,000,000 All American Futurity.
A daughter of One Famous Eagle and champion Higher Fire, Fly Baby Fly was second in her All American Derby trial, her highest finish before the All American Derby from four local starts.
Fly Baby Fly, a $180,000 Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale purchase, is trained by Trey Ellis and was ridden by Rodrigo Sigala Vallejo. She picked up $222,958 for second in the All American Derby to bring her earnings mark to $$1,813,627.
RH Resources Papaws Paint, a gritty gelding by Pyc Paint Your Wagon, is a small horse who fought valiantly between his two rivals. He is trained by Ruidoso Downs’ leading thoroughbred trainer Todd Fincher and ridden by Bonifacio Perez.
Papaws Paint was also third in the Rainbow Derby. He earned $123,866 to increase his earnings total to $337,486.
Wagon Chick V, Jess Move You, Hes Limitless, Peighnt Your Fate, Another Shot and Pyc Fun N Fancy completed the field. Fast Prize Rumor was scratched.
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