Singles Cruise, under jockey Neville Stephenson, drives to victory in the $28,765 Canada Quarter Horse Cup Derby (G3) on Sunday at Century Downs.

© Coady Photography Ltd.

ROCKY VIEW, AB—OCTOBER 20, 2019 —Last year’s Canada Quarter Horse Cup Futurity winner, Singles Cruise, returned to take the $28,765 Canada Quarter Horse Cup Derby (G3) on Sunday at Century Downs.

The victory was a slight upset as Singles Cruise ($15.00) defeated fastest qualifier Papas Coleen by a half-length in the 400-yard race. The final time was 20.037.

Neville Stephenson had the call on Singles Cruise for trainer Laurie Ferguson and owners Barry and Janice Sather. She was bred in California by Steve Burns, DVM, out of the Mr Eye Opener mare Going Single.

The winning connections of Singles Cruise accept the Canada QH Cup Derby stakes trophy on Sunday at Century Downs. © Coady Photography Ltd.

Singles Cruise was sixth in her trial after an awkward beginning, but the daughter of Favorite Cartel is a multiple stakes winner with nine wins in 17 starts and $102,086 in career earnings. She won the Canada Cup Futurity last fall as well as the John Deere Evergreen Park Juvenile Challenge, which earned her a berth in the John Deere Juvenile Challenge Championship (G2) at Los Alamitos.

In 2019, the 3-year-old filly won her trial and qualified to the Los Alamitos Winter Derby (G1); she won the James Smith Memorial Handicap at Los Al and recently finished second in the Adequan Sun Downs Derby Challenge.

Papas Coleen and Ceasar Cervantes dueled with Singles Cruise but could not quite catch the winner. The post-time favorite was the fastest qualifier from two trials on October 6.

The 3-year-old First Timber filly is trained by Darcy Hawkes; Donalda Cochrane owns and bred her in Alberta, out of out of Cash in This Lane, by Lanes Leinster.

Papas Coleen was third in the Canada Cup Futurity last fall; this fall, she is the recent winner of the Alberta Bred Derby at Century and also finished second in the Evergreen Park Derby Challenge at Grande Prairie.

Third place finisher Chasin Harm was the third fastest qualifier. The gelded son of Hawkinson is owned and trained by Alvin Cross Child and was ridden by Trevor Simpson. He was bred in Utah by Reed Pierson, out of Yr Brown Lucy, by Lanes Leinster.

Chasin Harm has finished out of the money only one time in nine starts in 2019. In 2018, he qualified for the John Deere Juvenile Challenge Championship (G2) at Los Alamitos.

Completing the field were Jb Runaway Special, Goldin Warrior, Ifarm, Last Unicorn, Jb Easy First Down, Timbersknightryder and Heza Southern Cartel. Timbersknightryder originally finished seventh but was placed ninth for interference.