Canada Cup Futurity Champion Pretty Sweet Jess Returns To Win This Year's $24,988 Canada Cup Derby

ROCKY VIEW, ALB–OCTOBER 5, 2024–Fastest qualifier from the trials, Pretty Sweet Jess, returns to the $24,988 (US) Canada Cup Quarter Horse Derby finals on Saturday at Century Downs for her eighth consecutive victory.

Leading trainer William Leech named regular rider Ricardo Moreno to pilot Pretty Sweet Jess in the 400-yard stakes race. The daughter of One Sweet Jess broke her own track record, set in the 2023 Canada Cup Futurity (G3), in 19.730 seconds, clocking a 93 speed index with a slight five mph crosswind.

Pretty Sweet Jess broke second out of the gates but quickly took the lead over Fired and jockey J. Botello, where she kept it to the wire for a length victory. The heavy favorite paid $2.90 to win.

Fired followed in for second 3/4-lengths ahead of Ms Mini Warrior, ridden by Daniel Tavares, who rallied in late for third.

Today's victory improved Pretty Sweet Jess' race record to eight wins from ten starts. The $11,244 winner's share of the purse boosted her earnings over six figures with $107,216.

The three-year-old hot shot has won five stakes races, including the Canada Cup Futurity (G3), Evergreen Park Juvenile Challenge Stakes, Horsemen's Derby, and Century Mile Derby Challenge.

Her owner, Jerry Stojan, purchased Pretty Sweet Jess for $17,000 from Veronica Gail Kawananakoa in the 2022 Los Alamitos Equine Sale. She is out of the First Down Dash mare Pretty Lethal, who is a half-sister to Grade 1 All American Futurity winner JM Miracle.

Leech also trains runner-up Fired for Stojan. He has lit the board 11 of 12 starts with four wins and $53,565 in lifetime earnings. The bay gelding will run in this year's Adequan Derby Challenge at the Downs at Albuquerque on October 26th.

Fired was another $18,000 Los Alamitos Equine Sale purchase by Jerry Stojan from breeder Dr. Steve Burns, DVM. The son of Fly Thru Fire is out of Ruths Chris by Separatist.

Trainer Brant Laczo owns third-place finisher Ms Mini Warrior in partnership with Dakota Brant. The daughter of Goldin Warrior has two wins from 13 starts and $33,322 in the bank. Isaak Fehr bred the brown filly out of Sparkling Hy by Hez Choice Property.

Hez Hott Ur Nott, Get It Good, O Lets Be First, St Paddy 109, Timbers Beauty and Mountain Night Train round out the order of finish. Northfork Three Ten was scratched.