Mysterious Cartel (inside) has been set at odds of 3-1 as the morning line favorite in Saturday's $52,454 Adequan Grants Pass Derby Challenge.

© Vince & Linda Williams

By Louanne Wainscott/Stallionesearch

GRANTS PASS, OR–JULY 4, 2025–Saturday afternoon’s racing card at Grants Pass Downs is headlined by the prestigious $52,454 Adequan Grants Pass Derby Challenge, with the seventh race set to feature a competitive field of talented three-year-olds going 400 yards. Ten finalists have emerged from the qualifying heats and will vie for the winner’s share of the purse and a berth in the AQHA Derby Challenge Championship this fall.

Mysterious Cartel, the second-fastest qualifier, headlines from the rail in post position one at morning line odds of 3-1. Bred in Texas, the son of Five Bar Cartel out of Mysterious Night (by Valiant Hero) has proven to be a model of consistency, finishing in the top four in 11 of 12 career starts. His résumé includes a runner-up effort in the 2024 Sweetwater Downs Futurity and a third-place finish in the 2024 Far West Futurity. Most recently, he posted a game second-place finish in the Energy Downs Derby.

Owned by Luis Abelardo Gonzalez and trained by Jose A. Rosales Gomez, Mysterious Cartel has banked $80,900 to date. Regular rider Cesar T. Moreno will be aboard once again as they look to secure a career-defining victory.

Fastest qualifier La Peralta breaks from post position five and is listed at 7-2 on the morning line. The California-bred filly, trained by Lorenzo Marquez Campos and ridden by Sergio G. Dominguez, overcame a poor break in her trial to post a determined half-length win. A daughter of Docs Best Card out of the Special Leader mare Stuckonafeeling, La Peralta has earned $25,671 for owner Salvador Banuelos Jr. with four wins from thirteen starts.

Trainers Hector Magallanes and Ricardo Mariles-Santos each send out two contenders. Magallanes will saddle Eyez On Corona (post three) and Mr Royal Cartel (post six), while Mariles-Santos is represented by Hunny Moon (post eight) and Tempting Look (post nine).

The remaining qualifiers include Bee a Tempting Queen, Coming At Ya, Soy Catalina, and Lee Five T.

These runners complete a well-matched field of ten that is expected to deliver a thrilling finish for fans and connections alike. The Adequan Derby Challenge Final is scheduled to go off as Race 7 at approximately 3:30 PM.

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