Zoomin Feature (#8) gets up over fellow qualifiers Ap Political Patriot(#6) and Tw Trumps Secrets (#7) in a blanket finish to the fastest trial for the $117,286 QHRAI Stallion Service Auction Derby at Horseshoe Indianapolis Saturday.

© Coady Media

By StallioneSearch

SHELBYVILLE, IN—AUGUST 9, 2025—Zoomin Feature posted the fastest qualifying time from four 400-yard trials at Horseshoe Indianapolis on Saturday, earning the top spot among 10 qualifiers to the $117,286 QHRAI Stallion Service Auction Derby final set for August 30.

The event is restricted to 3-year-olds sired by stallions selling services through the QHRAI Stallion Service Auction.

Racing in the second trial, the Indiana-bred gelding by Jess Zoomin out of Brookstones Feature by Brookstone Bay closed gamely under jockey Edgar Diaz to win by a nose in 19.879 seconds.

Bred and owned by Campos Family Ventures LLC, Zoomin Feature is trained by Claudio Barraza and earned the highest speed index of the day at 94.

"We had a lot of confidence in him today," noted Barraza. "He’s one of our top horses in the barn. He just stumbled out of the gate in his last start and didn’t make the final (Blue River Derby Trial), but before that, he was right there in the Harley Greene Derby in both the trial and the final (finishing first in his trial and second by a neck in the final). We did put a flipping halter on him this year and its seemed to help him out."

Winner of last season's Gordon Mobley Futurity at Horseshoe, Zoomin Feature has lit the board in six of nine starts and earned $155,050.  He was also second in the Harley Green Derby in May.

The second-fastest qualifier, Ap Political Patriot, a gelded son of Eos A Political Win out of Shes A Real Patriot by Game Patriot, finished a head behind in the same heat.

Owned and bred in Indiana by Oscar Alberto Preciado Garcia, Ap Political Patriot is trained by his owner and was ridden by Francisco Quintero. His time of 19.884 seconds matched Zoomin Feature’s 94 speed index.

"We made a couple of adjustments on him (AP Political Patriot) and it seemed to work," noted Preciado, whose silks are depicted on the jockey statue outside the winner’s circle as last year’s Restricted Grade 3 winner of the QHRAI Futurity. "We changed the bit and he broke out of the gate and ran like he was last year. We are really happy with his performance today."

Winner of last year's QHRAI Stallion Service Auction Futurity(RG3), Ap Political Patriot has won or placed in seven of 10 starts and banked $109,484.

Also emerging from that competitive second trial was the third-fastest qualifier, Tw Trumps Secrets, a gelding by Mr Apollitical Dash out of Eyes So Blue by Mr Eye Opener.

Owned and bred in Indiana by Thomas Wylie, the Natasha Perez trainee was guided by jockey Diego Villamil Bocanegra to finish a head behind Ap Political Patriot in 19.898 seconds, earning a 94 speed index. Third in the Miss Roxie Little Futurity(RG3) last season, Tw Trumps Secrets has earnd $57,695.

The final for the QHRAI Stallion Service Auction Derby will be contested on Saturday, August 30, with the 10 fastest qualifiers from the trials returning to vie for the winner’s share of the $117,286 purse at 400 yards. CLICK HERE for a list of qualifiers with times, sires, dams, owners, breeders, trainers, and jockeys.

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The QHRAI Stallion Service Auction Derby will join the Restricted Grade 3 QHRAI Stallion Service Auction Futurity on Quarter Horse Stakes Day featuring four stakes and purses in excess of $500,000. Martha Claussen, nationally known Quarter Horse racing analyst will be trackside to support the program, which includes trials for the three Indiana races feeding into the Bank of America Challenge Championships, the Cox Ranch Distaff, John Deere Juvenile, and Adequan Derby. Last year’s winner of the John Deere Juvenile trial at Horseshoe Indianapolis, Arbitro, trained by Claudio Barraza and owned by Campos Family Ventures, went on to win the Grade 2 $144,000 final at The Downs at Albuquerque. First post for Quarter Horse Stakes Day is set at 10:45 a.m.

The 23rd season of live Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing runs through Thursday, Nov. 13. For more information on racing at Horseshoe Indianapolis, visit www.caesars.com/horseshoe-indianapolis/racing or find details on social media @HSIndyRacing.

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