Cv Denali Leads Escondido Beach Sweep of Top Four Sterlie Bertram Qualifiers

Cv Denali led an Escondido Beach sweep of the four fastest qualifying spots from two trials for the $131,800 Sterlie Bertram Memorial Stakes on Monday at Horseshoe Indianapolis.

Cv Denali topped the qualifiers with a :20.238 victory over 400 yards in the second trial. Ridden by Edgar Diaz for trainer Claudio Barraza, the filly took the early lead, opened an advantage and held off a late-running Rock N The Beach to win by a neck.

Owned by Campos Family Ventures LLC and bred by Sheri Miller, Cv Denali is by Escondido Beach and out of the Genuine Botticelli mare Botticelli Shake. The victory marked her fifth consecutive win, a streak that includes the Blue River Derby and Harley Greene Derby. She also won the Gordon Mobley Futurity last season. Cv Denali has won eight of nine career starts with one second-place finish and earnings of $347,195.

Rock N The Beach finished a neck behind Cv Denali to secure the second-fastest qualifying time of :20.280 under Rolando Del Rio Pina. The Tim Eggleston trainee is a homebred for Jeff Sheets by Escondido Beach and out of the Pyc Fast Prize mare Pyc Fast Girls Rock.

Coming off a finalist effort in the QHRAI Stallion Service Auction Derby, Rock N The Beach has compiled a record of 13-4-5-2 with earnings of $295,010. Earlier this season, he finished third in the Harley Greene Derby. As a 2-year-old, he won the Miss Roxie Little Futurity and finished second in the Gordon Mobley Futurity.

Beachum secured the third-fastest qualifying spot after finishing third in the second trial in :20.434. Cristian Penaloza rode the Natasha Perez trainee for owner Deane Lehman.

Bred by the Cleary Family, Beachum is by Escondido Beach and out of the Leader Of The Class mare Class Of Oh Eight. Coming off a runner-up finish in the QHRAI Stallion Service Auction Derby Invitational Stakes, he owns a record of 7-3-3-1 with earnings of $59,258. He also finished second in the Harley Greene Derby earlier this season.

TW No Beach Secrets completed the Escondido Beach quartet with the fourth-fastest time of :20.453. The gelding finished fourth behind Cv Denali, Rock N The Beach and Beachum in the second trial.

Heza Classy Cowboy won the opening trial in :20.461, defeating Victory Beach by three-quarters of a length.

The top 10 qualifiers will return for the Sterlie Bertram Memorial Stakes final on Wednesday, October 7, at Horseshoe Indianapolis.

VIEW FULL LIST OF QUALIFIERS HERE