Angels In The Clouds Fastest in New Mexico State Fair Derby Trials

Angels In The Clouds turned in the fastest qualifying time Saturday afternoon as five trials were contested at The Downs at Albuquerque to determine the 10 finalists for the $425,000-est. New Mexico State Fair Derby(RG3).

The 400-yard final for accredited New Mexico-bred 3-year-olds will be contested Sunday, October 11.

Angels In The Clouds delivered the day's quickest performance in the third trial, rallying to defeat Sya Narra by a neck in :20.164. Daniel Antonio Torres rode the black gelding for trainer Emilio Cadena, Jr.

Owned by Aylin Gutierrez and bred in New Mexico by Joel Gutierrez, Angels In The Clouds is by multiple stakes sire Jet Black Patriot from the Feature Mr Jess mare Clouds N Rainbows.

Saturday's victory marked the third win in 14 career starts for Angels In The Clouds, who has also recorded one second and four thirds while earning $66,584. He was third in the New Mexico Classic Juvenile Stakes and has been a finalist in the Southwest Juvenile Invitational Stakes(G2) and New Mexico Breeders Futurity(RG2).

Sya Narra produced the second-fastest qualifying time when he finished a neck behind Angels In The Clouds in trial three. The gelding stopped the timer in :20.192 under jockey Oscar Andrade, Jr. for trainer David M. Gomez-Barraza.

Scott Branson and Jimmy Vasquez own Sya Narra, who was bred in New Mexico by Randy L. and Linda H. Schalla. The gelding is by El Damazo from the Brookstone Bay mare Asian Brook.

Sya Narra has won four of 10 career starts with one second and one third and earnings of $71,720. He was third in the Zia Derby(RG3).

King Estate posted the third-fastest qualifying time with a determined victory in the opening trial. After breaking from the inside post, the sorrel gelding rallied to get up by a head over Holliday, completing 400 yards in :20.242 under jockey Christian Cardenas.

Rodolfo G. Valles trains King Estate for Lifes A Dream Farm and Racing LLC. Bred in New Mexico by MJ Farms, the gelding is by Eye Am King from the First Down Dash mare Curlie Cue. King Estate was a $43,000 purchase at the 2024 Ruidoso New Mexico-Bred Yearling Sale.

King Estate has compiled four wins, two seconds, and one third from seven career starts while earning $150,127. His stakes record is headed by a victory in the Zia Derby(RG2).

The remaining qualifiers, in order of time, were Holliday (:20.258), Pour Me a Drinkk (:20.265), Mw Bcause Im First (:20.276), Ima Gonna B Famous (:20.291), Hez Rio Trouble (:20.302), Luxurie (:20.326), and Woodcutt (:20.332).

The trials were conducted over a muddy, sealed racing surface. The first three trials were contested into headwinds, while the fourth and fifth trials had crosswinds.

CLICK HERE for a complete list of qualifiers with times, sires, dams, owners, breeders, and jockeys.

The $425,000-est. New Mexico State Fair Derby(RG3) final will be contested Sunday, October 11, at The Downs at Albuquerque.

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