Mysterious Cartel (#7), with Christian Cardenas aboard, wins the $174,050 Adequan Derby Challenge Championship-G3 on Sunday at the Downs at Albuquerque.

© Coady Media

By Leann Noguera, StallioneSearch

ALBUQUERQUE, NM–OCTOBER 19, 2025–A tight photo finish determined the outcome of Sunday's $174,050 Adequan Derby Challenge Championship-G3 at the Downs at Albuquerque, as Mysterious Cartel held off a hard-charging Whata Lota Boy to score his first career stakes victory.

The 400-yard final for three-year-olds produced a dramatic ending, with Mysterious Cartel prevailing by a neck in 19.389 seconds and earning a 95 speed index on the fast track. The upset victory paid $16.20 to win at 7-1 odds.

Ridden by Christian Cardenas and trained by David M. Gomez-Barraza, Mysterious Cartel is owned by Luis A. Gonzalez. The Texas-bred son of Five Bar Cartel earned $80,063, increasing his lifetime earnings to $192,439.

The winning connections of Mysterious Cartel accept the Adequan Derby Challenge Championship-G3 trophy at Albuquerque Downs on Sunday. © Coady Media

Out of the Valiant Hero mare Mysterious Night, the colt was bred by J/R Robicheaux and Spanish Moss QH. He was a $31,000 purchase from the 2023 Heritage Place Yearling Sale.

Mysterious Cartel finally earned his breakthrough stakes win after several near misses, finishing second in the Grants Pass Derby Challenge (the race that secured his berth in this championship), Don Pedro Dash, and Energy Downs Derby, as well as third in the Sweetwater Downs Derby in his last start. The victory pushed his record to 17 starts with six wins, seven seconds, and two thirds.

Runner-up Whata Lota Boy, bred and owned by Whiting Ranch, put in a game effort under Jacob Enriquez for trainer Clinton Crawford. The Texas-bred gelding by Lota Pyc is out of Eurapollitical Girl by Apollitical Jess.

Whata Lota Boy was coming off a runner-up finish in the Horseshoe Indianapolis Derby Challenge Stakes and now owns one win, four seconds, and one third from eight starts with $67,196 in the bank.

Finishing third was Bottle It Up, ridden by Nestor Duran for trainer Heber Deyta-Melendez and owner-breeder Brian Levings. The Oklahoma-bred gelding by Tempting Dash is out of Poppin Bottles by New Year’s Day (TB).

He crossed the wire three-quarters of a length behind the winner and increased his career earnings to $95,866. Bottle It Up previously placed second in the John Deere AQHA Juvenile Challenge-G2 and Los Alamitos Juvenile Challenge, third in the Will Rogers Downs Derby Challenge and \fourth in the PCQHRA Breeders Futurity-G2.

Completing the order of finish was Haughty Vaquero, Two Two 22, First Famous Prize, Invasive, Rockin the Train, Party On the Moon, and Ketzal.

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