Litenin Posts Fastest Time In Adequan Will Rogers Downs Derby Challenge Trials

Litenin defeated Ab Seis Coronas by a half-length in the second of two 400-yard trials to the Adequan Will Rogers Downs Derby Challenge on Tuesday, recording the fastest qualifying time of :19.714 for the $30,000-added final on October 4.

Ridden by Ruben Delarosa Jr. for trainer Janessa Lee Muniz, Litenin earned his fifth victory from 14 starts. Rene Roman owns the 3-year-old gelding, who has earned $105,320.

The son of Class King was bred in Texas by Bullard Farms out of Fleet Elis by Fishers Dash. He was a $17,000 graduate of the 2024 TQHA Yearling Sale.

Litenin finished third in the Sam Houston Derby-G3 and fifth in the Retama Park Derby earlier this season. A finalist in the TQHA Sale Juvenile Stakes during his freshman campaign, he will seek his first stakes victory in the final.

Ab Seis Coronas secured the second-fastest qualifying time of :19.773 under jockey Mario Delgado. Justin Joiner trains the Apollitical Blood gelding for owners Jaime Bryant, Melanie Brooks and Linda Joiner.

Bred in California by Rancho El Cabresto Inc., Ab Seis Coronas is out of Daring Seis by Tres Seis. The $180,000 graduate of the 2024 Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale has won two of 11 starts and earned $46,838.

Ab Seis Coronas finished fifth in the Heritage Place Derby-G2 earlier this season at Remington Park.

Racket Ridge finished third in the trial and posted the third-fastest qualifying time of :19.793. Francisco Raul Ramirez Jr. rode the Apollitical Jess gelding for trainer Jason Olmstead.

Paul Treadwell bred and owns the Kansas-bred runner, who is out of Lovepop by PYC Paint Your Wagon. Racket Ridge has won three of 14 starts and earned $62,446.

He is a multiple graded stakes finalist, including this season’s Heritage Place Derby-G2 and last year’s Black Gold C&G Futurity-G3.

The Adequan Derby Challenge is restricted to 3-year-olds enrolled in the Challenge program. The winner of the October 4 final will earn a berth in the October 17 Adequan Derby Championship Challenge at Albuquerque Downs.

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