Jerome County Fair hosted the $15,000 Five Livestock Company / Rod Mills Memorial Derby on Sunday's race card.

© Jerome County Fair

By StallioneSearch

JEROME, ID—JUNE 15, 2025—In a thrilling finish under sunny skies at the Jerome County Fair, Cosmic Marfa surged to victory in the $15,000 Five Livestock Company / Rod Mills Memorial Derby, edging out his rivals in a tight contest over 350 yards.

The 3-year-old bay gelding, ridden confidently by Raphael Romero, stopped the clock in 17.612 seconds, earning a Speed Index of 104 and holding off a determined field under a crosswind of 3 mph on a fast track.

Bred in Oklahoma by Michael and Beth Harper, Cosmic Marfa is by The Marfa Lights out of Halley, a daughter of Apollitical Jess. Owned and trained by Abel Romero, the $6,500 purchase from the 2023 Heritage Place Yearling Sale earned $7,200 for the win, his margin a hard-fought neck at the wire. Cosmic Marfa has banked $21,008 in eight starts.

Second-place honors went to longshot Sheknowsshesmokn, a sorrel filly by Daguerre out of Smokn Mirrors by Jumpn. Bred and owned by Edward C. Jamison of Idaho, the filly was trained by Glen Jamison and ridden by Jose Figueroa. Displaying a strong and steady effort, she earned $3,075 for her runner-up finish, to bring her bankroll to $22,774.

Finishing third was Idaho-bred M E Closing Time, a bay filly by champion Ec Jet One out of Kool Sweet Jess by One Sweet Jess, a homebred for owner-breeders David Merritt or Kim Newman. Trained by Jarrett Mills, and piloted by Eric Ayala, she closed with determination to finish 1¾ lengths behind the winner, collecting $1,500 in purse money. The multiple stakes-placed filly has banked $24,122.

Rounding out the field were M E Mitzy (4th), Lm Concords Secret (5th), Tillys Kiss a Cowboy (6th), and Sheknowsshepunky (7th).

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