Ojd Jess A Bug, under jockey David Alavarez, Jr., races to his 11th consecutive win against no losses in the $156,850 Sweetwater Downs Derby on Sunday.

© Coady Media

By H. David Smith, StallioneSearch

ROCK SPRINGS, WY—SEPTEMBER 7, 2025—Ojd Jess A Bug kept his undefeated record intact with his 11th straight victory in Sunday’s $159,850 Sweetwater Downs QH Derby at Sweetwater Downs.

The three-year-old bay gelding covered the 400-yard distance in 19.435 seconds with a speed index of 107, earning $63,940 for owner-breeders Karla Diaz-Gomez and Oscar Jaime Diaz.

Bred in Idaho, Ojd Jess A Bug is by multiple stakes sire One Sweet Jess out of Bugs Wagon by Pyc Paint Your Wagon. Trained by Javier Fuentes and ridden by David Alvarez, Jr., he crossed the wire 2½ lengths in front and now boasts career earnings of $293,440 from 11 starts without a defeat.

The winning connections of Ojd Jess A Bug celebrate in the Sweetwater Downs winner's circle Sunday afternoon.
© Coady Media

Ojd Jess A Bug's other stakes victories include the Bitterroot Futurity(G3), Hadley Giles Futurity, Sweetwater Downs Futurity, and Energy Downs Derby.

Runner-up honors went to Whiskey Talkin, a sorrel filly by leading sire Flying Cowboy 123 out of Peppermint Seis by Tres Seis, bred by Paragon Farms LLC in Arizona.

Owned by J Lazy Six Racing and trained by Dru Hall, Whiskey Talkin overcame a poor break when she "broke in the air" but closed strongly under Adrian Ramos, finishing second by a nose over the third-place finisher. She earned $31,970 to double her earnings mark to $60,715.

The winning connections of Ojd Jess A Bug accept the Sweetwater Downs Derby stakes trophy on Sunday afternoon. © Coady Media

Mysterious Cartel finished third after being bumped at the start, but recovered well late. The sorrel colt, a $31,000 purchase from the 2023 Heritage Place Yearling Sale, is by champion Five Bar Cartel out of Mysterious Night by Valiant Hero.

Bred in Texas by J/R Robicheaux and Spanish Moss Quarter Horses, Mysterious Cartel races for owner Luis A. Gonzalez and is trained by Luis H. Gonzalez. Ridden by Cesar Moreno, Mysterious Cartel earned $15,985 for his effort, boosting his career earnings to $112,376.

Ojd Jess A Bug returned $2.20 to win, $3.20 to place, and $2.80 to show. Whiskey Talkin paid $6.80 to place and $4.60 to show, while Mysterious Cartel returned $5.20 to show.

The remaining order of finish was Divory fourth, Cosmic Marfa fifth, Kaseys Spirit sixth, Dnc Dynasty (disqualified to ninth) seventh, Game for Tarzan eighth, Hotlipps Hulahan ninth, and Fear N Fridays tenth.

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