Racing


Dashnunder Afullmoon Dominates All American Derby Trials on Sunday
Dashnunder Afullmoon, under jockey Raul Romariz, Jr., romped to the fastest qualifying time in the Grade 1, $1,237,604 All American Derby on Sunday afternoon at Ruidoso Downs.

© Ismael Venegas / StallioneSearch
Dashnunder Afullmoon Dominates All American Derby Trials on Sunday

RUIDOSO DOWNS, NM—AUGUST 19, 2018—Rogelio Marquez Jr.'s Dashnunder Afullmoon, a $50,000 supplemental nominee to enter the trials, showed that was a solid investment by pulling away from her rivals and putting a sensational :21.131 time for 440 yards on the top of the qualifier's list to the Grade 1, $1,237,604 All American Derby on Sunday afternoon at Ruidoso Downs.

The three-year-olds with the 10-fastest times from the trials qualified for the All American Derby on September 2. The horses with the next 10-fastest times gain preference to the $100,000 First Down Dash on the same day.

Dashnunder Afullmoon raced in the third of 11 trials and second-place finisher Hes Limitless and third-place finisher Peight Your Fate posted the second- and fourth-fastest times from the trials. Hes Limitless was timed in :21.278 and Peight Your Fate checked in with a :21.388 time.

Hes Limitless (#8) and Peighnt Your Fate (#1) finished second and third to fastest qualifier Dashnunder Afullmoon. © Ismael Venegas / StallioneSearch
Dashnunder Afullmoon finished an easy one-length ahead of Hess Limitless while it was another head back to Peight Your Fate.

The Heza Fast Dash-sired Dashunder Afullmoon keyed an winning afternoon for trainer Josue Ponce. He also sent out qualifiers and trial winners Fast Prize Rumor and Pyc Fun N Fancy, another $50,000 supplemental nominee.

The winner of six of nine starts, Dashnunder Afullmoon will face her strongest competition in the All American Derby after racing primarily in Louisiana. The All American Derby trials were her Ruidoso Downs debut.

Hotstepper, under champion jockey Cody Jensen, qualified third fastest in the final trial race Sunday.
© Ismael Venegas / StallioneSearch
Dashnunder Afullmoon was successful in Louisiana with five wins from six starts last year and earning $572,859. She won the $322,000 Louisiana Lassie Futurity, the $705,000 Louisiana-bred Futurity, each at Delta Downs, and concluded her two-year-old season with a win in the $100,000 Louisiana Champions Day Juvenile at Fairgrounds.

"After she won the Champions Day Juvenile we decided to go for the All American Derby," said Marquez, who is listed as the owner, but the filly is really a family effort. "You may only get one like her in a lifetime.

"We brought her up here in June so she would be totally acclimated."

Ruidoso Derby(G1) winner Jess Move You (31) and Another Shot (#2) qualified in the fifth trial.
© Ismael Venegas / StallioneSearch
The family was astonished with the fast time. "I looked back (at the tote board) to be sure it wasn't 22," said Marquez.

D&S Racing LLC bred the brown filly in Louisiana from the Dash Ta Fame mare Full Moon Dasher, a half-sister to leading sire First Moonflash. Dashnunder Afullmoon's half-brother Moonocracy, by first sale-crop sire Apollitical Blood topped the 2018 LQHBA Yearling Sale on August 4 when he became the highest-selling Louisiana-Bred yearling in history at $210,000.

Raul Ramirez Jr. guided Dashnunder Afullmoon to the impressive victory.

First Prize Rumor, under jockey James Flores, qualifying sixth fastest from the fourth trial on Sunday.
© Ismael Venegas / StallioneSearch
Jack Smith Farms' runner-up Hes Limitless came into the trials off a second-place effort in the Grade 1, $802,000 Rainbow Derby. The John Stinebaugh-trained gelding was fourth in the Grade 1, $3,000,000 All American Futurity and second in the $100,000 Rainbow Juvenile last summer.

Agustin Silva, the only rider Hes Limitless has known, was aboard.

Owned by the partnership of R.D. Hubbard, Johnny Cope, Ray Willis and Butch Southway, Hotstepper raced to the third-fastest time of :21.384 while winning the final trial. The One Famous Eagle-sired gelding pulled out to a one-length win under Cody Jensen.

Heritage Place Derby(G2) winner Pyc Fun N Fancy, under jockey James Flores, posted the 10th fastest time in in trial 6. © Ismael Venegas / StallioneSearch
The Sleepy Gilbreath-trained Hotstepper has been a warrior. He was second in the Grade 1, $874,000 Texas Classic Futurity, third in the All American Futurity, third in the $100,000 Mr Jess Perry and fourth in the Rainbow Derby.

Ricardo Bernal and Reymundo Resendez's Jess Move You, winner of the Grade 1, $759,000 Ruidoso Derby, won his trial by one-half length with the fifth-fastest qualifying time of :21.414. Jose Amador Alvarez picked up the mount on Jess Move You, another $50,000 supplemental nominee.

Jess Move You qualified for the Rainbow Derby, however lost all chance at the start when he tossed his head.

"That is a throw-out race," said trainer Rodolfo "Rudy" Valles. "It was just bad racing luck. He's been training great since then."

For the complete list of All American Derby qualifiers, their times, sires, dams, owners, breeders, trainers and jockeys CLICK HERE.

Papaws Paint, under jockey Bonifacio Perez, qualified from the opening trial on Sunday.
© Ismael Venegas / StallioneSearch
The second 10 fastest qualifies from today's All American Derby trials are preferred invites for the $100,000 First Down Dash Stakes that will also runback on Sunday, September 2. For a list of those horses CLICK HERE.
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