RUIDOSO DOWNS, NM—MAY 17, 2019—Wootan Racing's homebred Shaw Island Senator outdueled favorite Will B Valiant and those two prospects set the top-two qualifying times from three trials to the Grade 3, $58,438 John Deere Ruidoso Juvenile Challenge on Friday afternoon at Ruidoso Downs.

The horses with the 10-fastest times qualified to compete in the John Deere Ruidoso Juvenile Challenge on June 2. A strong, gusting headwind faced all of the trial competitors.

Shaw Island Senator gained the advantage and was able to hold off 2-5 favorite Will Be Valiant by a neck.

The Felipe Garcia-Luna ridden Shaw Island Senator was timed in :18.283 while Will B Valiant was timed in :18.331.

Shaw Island Senator and Will B Valiant each had previous racing experience at Remington Park.

A daughter of Louisiana Senator, Shaw Island Senator finished fourth in a Remington Park maiden race while Will B Valiant won his trial to the Remington Park Futurity and then finished fifth in the $100,000 Remington Park Juvenile Stakes.

"She ran a nice race," Shaw Island Senator's trainer Mike Joiner said. "She showed she's a nice filly. She won her Remington Park training race."

An Oklahoma home-bred for Wootan Racing, Shaw Island Senator is a daughter multiple stakes sire Louisiana Senator from the Mr Jess Perry mare Sea Island Dancer.

Will B Valiant, trained by Clint Crawford, is owned by retired jockey G.R. Carter Jr. and his wife Shaena. Carter is the all-time leading quarter horse jockey in races won (3,906) and mount earnings ($75 million).

Carter bred the gelded son of Mighty B Valiant from the Spit Curl Jess mare Curl Girl.

CLICK HERE for an unofficial list of John Deere Ruidoso Juvenile Challenge qualifiers, their times, sires, dams, owners, breeders, trainers and jockeys.

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For Ruidoso Downs racing news CLICK HERE.