Valiant Heart Z, under jockey Jorge Javier Garcia, posted the fastest qualifying time for the $131,287 restricted Grade 1 Delta Downs Derby on Thursday night.

© Hodges Photography/ Paula C. Tindall

By Don Stevens

VINTON, LA–JUNE 18, 2026–Delta Downs held two qualifying trials for this year’s $131,287 restricted Grade 1 Delta Downs Derby (Louisiana-breds) on Thursday night.

The fastest qualifier for the July 11 final came out of the second trial as Luis Armando Castellanos’ Valiant Heart Z ($3) scored the track under jockey Jorge Javier Garcia to post a 400-yard time of 19.727 seconds. The Santiago Villaseca trainee earned a 100 speed index for the effort.

The win by Valiant Heart Z marked the fifth of his 10-race career, and it was his third tally in a row.

Each trial carried a $15,000 purse, and the winner’s share was $9,000. That paycheck raised Valiant Heart Z’s bankroll to $86,645. He’ll have the chance to add $65,643 to that total if he wins the final on Louisiana Showcase Night, July 11.

Bred in Louisiana by Slash Z Quarter Horses, Valiant Heart Z is a 3-year-old bay gelding by multiple stakes sire Gold Heart Eagle V, out of the Valiant Hero mare Ym Valentine.

CLICK HERE for the 10 qualifiers with times, sires, dams, owners, breeders, trainers, and jockeys for the Delta Downs Derby.

Delta Downs will conduct a special 11-race program on Friday night, with first post at 5:45 pm. Each race on the card will serve as a trial for this year’s $602,705 Lee Berwick Futurity (RG1), the richest race of the season, which takes place on Saturday, July 11.
 

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For more information about the season, visit the track’s website at www.deltadowns.com/race.  Fans can also follow the track on Facebook and Twitter.

Delta Downs Racetrack Casino Hotel, a property of Boyd Gaming Corporation, is the premier racing and gaming entertainment venue in Vinton, LA. Delta Downs features a six-furlong oval track, 15,000 square feet of casino space and more than 1,500 of the most popular slot machines. Amenities include two restaurants, chart-topping entertainment at the Delta Event Center and the Delta Downs Sportsbook.

Delta Downs is located in Vinton, Louisiana, on Delta Downs Drive. From Lake Charles, take Exit 7, and from Texas, take Exit 4.

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