Drive, ridden by Julian Zavala, wins the $43,945 AQHA John Deere Juvenile Challenge at Sweetwater Downs by 1/2-length on Saturday.

© Gene Wilson and Associates

ROCK SPRINGS, WY–AUGUST 30, 2023–Drive made her way to the winner's circle on Saturday for the third time this season after scoring a victory in the $43,945 AQHA John Deere Juvenile Challenge at Sweetwater Downs.

Jockey Julian Zavala guided Drive in the lead from gate-to-wire for a 1/2-length win over Dr B. The daughter of champion sire Valiant Hero clocked a 99 speed index in :17.487 seconds and the winning ticket paid $6.80 on 5/2 odds.

With a record of 3-3-1 from eight career starts, today's 350-yard victory is the first stakes win for Drive. The $21,094 winner's share of the purse increased the two-year-old filly's lifetime earnings to $34,596.

Owner/trainer Adrian Zavala purchased Drive for $21,000 in last year's Heritage Place Fall Mixed Sale. Bred in Oklahoma by Flag Ranch, LLC, the sorrel filly is a half-sister to stakes winner Baby I Du and out of stakes-placed winner Lil Baby Eagle by One Famous Eagle. She is from the female family of world champion Whosleavingwho.

Crossing the wire just behind Drive was Dr B with Jose Espinoza in the pilots seat. The stakes winning son of Duponte has lit the board five of six starts with two wins and $22,584 in the bank. Trainer Ricardo Castillo own the sorrel colt in partnership with Rainee Browning. 

Dr B is a $13,700 Heritage Place Fall Mixed Sale graduate. He was bred in Texas by Jackie Sessions out the Mr Jess Perry mare Sister Jess, who is also the dam of Grade 2 winner Perrys Secret.

Attribute, ridden by Cesar Moreno, crossed the wire in third half-a length behind Dr B. The winning daughter of Favorite Cartel has $9,966 in earnings and was a finalist in the Grade 3 Bitterroot Futurity in July.

3-time champion breeder Steve D. Burns sold Attribute for $60,000 in the 2022 Los Alamitos Equine Sale.  The two-year-old filly is a half-sister to multiple new track record setter and nine-time stakes winner Flight Club. She is out of Separate Flight by Separatist.

Bc Minnie Pearl placed fourth, Workin Winnie was fifth and Bnb Docs Hightestcard completed the order of finish in sixth.