Pretty Sweet Jess Wins Seventh Consecutive, Sets Top Mark In Canada Cup Derby Trials

ROCK VIEW COUNTY, ALB–SEPTEMBER 22, 2024–Graded stakes winner Pretty Sweet Jess got his seventh consecutive win on Sunday while posting the fastest qualifying time for the Canda Cup Derby at Century Downs.

The ten fastest qualifiers will return on Saturday, October 5, to vie for the winner's share of a $25,000-est (CAN) purse going a distance of 400 yards.

Coming off a win in the Adequan Century Mile Derby Challenge on June 29, Pretty Sweet Jess battled Hez Hott Ur Nott to a head win to post the fastest qualifying time of 19.692 seconds, a 94-speed index into a 25 mph crosswind.

Jockey Ricard Moreno rode the daughter of multiple stakes sire One Sweet Jess to her seventh career win for owner Jerry Stojan and trainer William Leech. Bred in California by Veronica Gail Kawananakoa, Perry Sweet Jess is out of the First Down Dash mare Pretty Lethal.

The 3-year-old filly is also the winner of the Canada Cup Futurity(RG3), Horsemen's Derby, and the John Deere Evergreen Park Juvenile Challenge, Today's $6,600(US) trail winner's purse boosted her earnings to $99,074.

Runner-up Hez Hott Ur Nott held on to the second fastest clocking of 19.720 seconds, also a 94 speed index. J.B. Botello piloted the stakes-placed son of Obsessed With Corona for trainer Craig Robert Smith and owner Dialed In Racing Stables. Ralph Danard bred the brown gelding in Alberta from the Tres Seis daughter Im Hott Ur Nott. He has earned $27,505 in 14 starts.

Stojan, Leech, and Moreno also teamed up to win the opening trial with Fired, a son of multiple stakes sire Fly Thru The Fire. The California-bred gelding clocked 21.131 seconds to set the third-fastest time. Steve D. Burns, DVM bred, Fired from the Separatist tame Ruths Chris. The graded stakes-placed gelding has earned nearly $50,000.

Leading Canadian sire First Timber was the only sire with multiple qualifiers. He sired fourth fastest, O Lets Be First, and tenth qualifier Timbers Beauty.

CLICK HERE for the Canada Cup Derby qualifiers list, with times, sires, dams, owners, breeders, trainers, and jockeys.