Challenge


Grade 2 Winner Raising Kain Returns in Adequan Texas Derby Challenge Trials
Pete A. Scarmardo's Juvenile Challenge Championship winner Raising Kain will head the Adequan Texas Derby Challenge trials at Sam Houston Race Park on Friday night.

© Scott Martinez
Grade 2 Winner Raising Kain Returns in Adequan Texas Derby Challenge Trials

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI

HOUSTON, TX—APRIL 16, 2014—Raising Kain, a homebred Down N Dash gelding racing for Pete A. Scarmardo, will make his 3-year-old debut in Friday’s 400-yard Adequan Texas Derby Challenge trials at Sam Houston Race Park.

Trained by Leon Bard, Raising Kain will be making his first start since November 9, when he outran his 29-1 odds to win the 350-yard, $150,000 John Deere Juvenile Challenge Championship (G2) at Los Alamitos. All told, the gelding has won three of seven outs, and he has earned $99,113.

Raising Kain’s seven opponents in the last of four trials include Juan E. Perrett Jr.’s Orions Award. A colt by the Runaway Winner stallion Winners Award trained by Brian Stroud, Orions Award scored a neck victory in last year’s 350-yard, $103,000 TQHA Sires’ Cup Futurity (RG2) at Retama Park.

Other stakes winners entered in Friday’s trials include Beduinosfirstrunaway and Time For Jesse Lee. A gray colt by champion Ocean Runaway racing for Ignacio Soto from the barn of Brandon Muniz, Beduinosfirstrunaway will be shortening in distance off of his three-quarter length score in the February 22, 440-yard South Florida Invitational Stakes at Hialeah Park.

Time For Jesse Lee ships in from California, where he won the 350-yard, $16,000 Uncas Handicap at Los Alamitos on March 8 for owner Jim Walker, who also bred the gelded son of the Mr Jess Perry stallion Mr Jesse Lee. Dean Frey trains Time For Jesse Lee, who ran second, one length behind Raising Cain, in last year’s John Deere Juvenile Challenge Championship.

The 10 fastest qualifiers from the four heats will meet in the $35,000-added Adequan Texas Derby Challenge final on Sunday, May 11. The winner of the final will earn a berth in the Grade 3, $200,000 Adequan Derby Challenge Championship at Prairie Meadows in October

All Sam Houston Race Park races can be seen Q-RacingVideo.com.