HW Tellum Sweetly (#8) drives to the wire under jockey Kiaman McGregor to post the fastest qualifying time for the AQRA Derby trials at Turf Paradise.

© Coady Media

By Emily Paulk, StallioneSearch

PHOENIX, AZ–APRIL 1, 2026– All three of the top qualifiers for the upcoming AQRA Derby at Turf Paradise are sired by Tell Cartel, highlighting the stallion’s early impact from limited crops.

HW Tellum Sweetly posted the fastest qualifying time of :17.805 seconds, winning her trial under Kiaman McGregor. The filly dueled throughout and finished strongly to prevail in the final strides. She is a homebred for Harold Wright, who also owns the runner, and is trained by Pedro Urias Soto. She is out of the Mr Corona Cash mare Streakns Easy, an unraced mare.

HW Tellum Sweetly now holds a record of 12-3-2-2 with earnings of $33,928, and is already a stakes winner, having captured last year’s AQRA Juvenile Stakes. She was also a finalist in the Desert Classic Derby earlier this year.

Alitlelesstalk secured the second-fastest qualifying time of :17.812 seconds. The gelding was part of the early pace and dueled throughout before being outfinished late, settling for second. The homebred gelding races for Ralph and Carolyn Fales, is trained by Matthew Fales, and was ridden by Oscar Andrade Jr.

He owns a record of 8-3-2-0 with earnings of $83,219, highlighted by wins in both the Desert Classic Futurity and the Arizona QRA Futurity. He is out of the stakes-winning Jesse James Jr mare Jess One Looke ($33,221), a full sister to stakes winners Jesse Lane ($304,123) and Zuccardi ($146,749).

The pedigree also includes stakes winners Chrissy Ledoux ($103,531) and Looke N At Me ($36,324), along with champions Alice K White ($276,837) and Astica ($411,623).

Block N Tell recorded the third-fastest qualifying time of :17.868 seconds. The gelding was involved early, bumped during the running, and continued on to finish among the top three qualifiers. He gelding is a homebred for Matt Fales, trained by Matthew Fales, and was ridden by Blake Nunnally.

He holds a record of 10-1-2-4 with earnings of $23,787 and is stakes placed, including third-place finishes in the Desert Classic Derby and last year’s AQRA Juvenile Stakes, and a finalist effort in the Desert Classic Futurity. He is out of the Takin On The Cash mare Watchin The Rain, a stakes winner.

The $25,000-added AQRA Presidents Open Spring Derby final will be contested on April 25 at Turf Paradise.

Full Qualifier list HERE

*******************

Would you like more industry news delivered directly to your inbox? Click here to sign up.