Baby Ruth, under jockey Edwin Escobedo, wins the $82,119 Speedhorse Quarter Horse Derby Saturday at Fair Meadows Race Course.

© Jack Coady Photography

By H. David Smith, StallioneSearch

TULSA, OK–JULY 19, 2025–Baby Ruth, a 3-year-old sorrel filly by champion sire Jess Good Candy, surged in the final strides to win a tightly contested edition of the $82,119 Speedhorse Quarter Horse Derby at Fair Meadows, prevailing by a head in a dramatic blanket finish.

Ridden by Edwin Escobedo for trainer Luis Villafranco and owner Mi Serenity, Baby Ruth completed the 350-yard dash in 17.635 seconds under a 12 mph headwind, earning a speed index of 97. The victory added $31,205 to her bankroll, pushing her career earnings to $102,024 from 12 starts.

The winning connections of Baby Ruth accept the Speedhorse Quarter Horse Derby stakes trophy at Fair Meadows Saturday. © © Jack Coady Photography

Bred in Texas by Bobby Simmons, Baby Ruth is out of the Corona Cartel mare Jess A Cartel and was purchased for $40,000 at the 2023 Heritage Place Yearling Sale. She broke outwardly from the gate, drifted late, but held off a charging field to notch her fifth career win in impressive style.

Baby Ruth was also second in the Oklahoma Derby(G3) earlier this year at Remington Park.

Second-place finisher Razor Hawk Cartel, a brown gelding by Corona Cartel out of And Poof Shes Gone by Stoli, closed well between rivals but came up a head short at the wire.

Bred in Arkansas by Belinda Shaw and trained by Cristian Alcala for owner Angelica Brizuela, the $35,000 Heritage Place Winter Mixed Sale purchase earned $13,960. Juan Pulido had the riding assignment on the game runner-up, who now boasts earnings of $56,718 from 11 starts.

Finishing third, just a neck behind the top two, was Cartels Favorite, a brown colt by Industrious out of Ms Bunny Budz by Strawflyin Buds. Owned and bred in Oklahoma by Christopher Benjamin Tovar, the colt earned $9,033 for his effort.

Trained by Josue Garcia and ridden by Mario Delgado, Cartels Favorite ran on well between horses in the final yards and has now banked $37,082 lifetime.

The top three finishers were separated by just a head and two necks in one of the most competitive renewals of the Speedhorse Derby in recent memory.

Pari-mutuel payoffs reflected the upset, with Baby Ruth returning $22.00 to win, $6.20 to place, and $4.60 to show. Razor Hawk Cartel paid $4.40 to place and $4.80 to show, while Cartels Favorite returned $9.80 to show.

Completing the order of finish behind the top three were Ima Fancy Eye Opener in fourth, Red Iron fifth, Flying Wrangler sixth, Hez My Hero seventh, Perry Fast eighth, and His Royal Majesti ninth. One runner, Bv Mr D, was scratched from the race.

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