La Peralta, under jockey Sergio Dominquez, defeats Lee Five T while setting the fastest time in the Adequan Grants Pass Derby Challenge trials on Saturday.

© Vince & Linda Williams

By StallioneSearach

GRANTS PASS, OR—JUNE 21, 2025—La Peralta and Mysterious Cartel emerged as the fastest qualifiers from two trials held Saturday at Grants Pass for the $52,453 Adequan Grants Pass Derby Challenge.

The 400-yard final, open to Challenge-enrolled 3-year-olds who qualified from Saturday's trials, is set for July 5, 2025.

La Peralta, a bay filly by multiple stakes sire Docs Best Card, delivered the fastest time of the day, stopping the clock in 19.480 in the first of two trials (the first trial was hand-timed).

Bred in California by Jaime H. Gomez, La Peralta is out of the Special Leader mare Stuckonafeeling. Owned by Salvador Banuelos, Jr., the filly was a $34,000 repurchase from the 2025 Heritage Place Winter Mixed Sale.

Trained by Lorenzo Marquez Campos and ridden by jockey Sergio G. Dominguez, La Peralta broke inward from post eight but straightened out swiftly to take command and win by a half-length. Her determined finish earned her a 105 speed index and a gate-to-wire victory in a trial featuring several other qualifiers.

Mysterious Cartel (#3) defeats fellow qualifier Eyez On Corona (#10) in the second Adequan Derby trial at Grants Pass Downs. © Vince & Linda Williams

La Peralta competed her entire 2-year-old year at Los Alamitos Race Course before winning a trial and qualifying to the Gary and Sharilyn Blattner Memorial Derby at Pocatello Downs in May.  She has earned $25,871.

In the second trial, multiple stakes-placed Mysterious Cartel, a Texas-bred colt by champion Five Bar Cartel, narrowly edged Eyez On Corona to post the second-fastest qualifying time of 19.515.

The sorrel colt, out of Mysterious Night by Valiant Hero, is owned by Luis Abelardo Gonzalez and was bred by J/R Robicheaux and Spanish Moss QH. Purchased for $31,000 as a yearling from the 2023 Heritage Place Yearling Sale, Mysterious Cartel is trained by Jose A. Rosales Gomez.

Jockey Cesar T. Moreno guided the colt from post three, where he dueled gamely throughout and dug in late to win by a nose, earning a 104 speed index.

Second in the recent Energy Downs Derby, last year's Sweetwater Downs Futurity, and the third in the Far West Futurity, Mysterious Cartel has banked $80,900 in 12 career starts.

The Adequan Grants Pass Derby Challenge finals promise a competitive field led by these two standout qualifiers. With strong breeding, professional connections, and impressive trial performances, La Peralta and Mysterious Cartel have established themselves as the horses to watch heading into the $52,453 final on July 5.

CLICK HERE for the list of qualifiers, including times, sires, dams, owners, breeders, trainers, and jockeys.