Separate Bet fastest qualifier to All American Derby

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Seperate Bet wins his fourth straight race while setting the fastest time on Friday.
Photo by: Ty Wyant



Separate Bet Leads Qualifiers To $500,000 All American Derby



RUIDOSO DOWNS, NM—AUGUST 17, 2007—Separate Bet continued his dominance at Ruidoso Downs this summer by setting the fastest qualifying time of :20.994 to the Grade 1, $500,000 All American Derby at Ruidoso Downs on Friday afternoon.
The 10 fastest qualifiers from the four trials are eligible to compete in the All American Derby on Sept. 2.

With Freddie Martinez aboard, Separate Bet was able to put away Dont Let Down by a half length while Valiant Hero finished third, another half-length back.

“He was bumped and Freddie just hand rode him,” co-owner Jimmy Harrel said. “We didn’t want to push him.”

Separate Bet has been sensational for trainer Paul Jones since returning to racing from a 7-month layoff in June. The Separatist gelding has won each of his four starts, including the Grade 1, $448,000 Rainbow Derby and setting a Ruidoso Downs’ 400-yard track record in an allowance race.

Separate Bet raced to his track-record win in his first start for Jones when he covered the 400 yards in :19.18 to win by more than three lengths.

He then won his Rainbow Derby trial by two-and-a-quarter lengths and the Rainbow Derby by nearly three lengths.

“Paul’s done a marvelous job with him,” Harrel said.

Jones called Separate Bet “a monster” and said the gelding is “just doing everything right.”

Bobby Cox’s Don’t Let Down and Valiant Hero, who followed Separate Bet under the finish line, have the second- and third-fastest qualifying times.

The John Buchanan-trained Dont Let Down, a Stoli gelding, won last fall’s Grade 1 Dash For Cash Futurity and was second in the Grade 1 Heritage Place Derby.

Valiant Hero, a 2005 Ruidoso Horse Sale topper at $500,000, won the Grade 1, $1 million Texas Classic Futurity and the Heritage Place Derby over Dont Let Down. The First Down Dash Colt is owned by Henry and Melinda Brown, Homer Hill and Terry Bell.

Three top contenders coming into the All American Derby trials failed to make the derby field.

All American Futurity winner No Secrets Here finished third in the second trial and his time of :21.349 barely missed making the derby field and was the 11th-fastest time.

Okey Dokey Fantasy raced to the 12th-fastest time while Remember Me Rose had the 14th-fastest time. Okey Dokey Fantasy was second and Remember Me Rose was third in the third trial.

Okey Dokey Fantasy won last fall’s $300,000 Southwest Juvenile Championship while Remember Me Rose came into the trials off her win in the Grade 1 Ruidoso Derby.





Race: ALL AMERICAN DERBY-G1 (09/02/2007)


Track: RUIDOSO DOWNS
Trials: AUGUST 17, 2007
Final: SEPTEMBER 02, 2007
Purse: $496,976
Age: 3-YEAR-OLDS
Distance: 440 YARDS

Horse Sex Sire-Dam, Dam Sire Time Owner Breeder Trainer Jockey

Separate Bet g. Separatist--Better Bet On Me, by First Down Dash :20.994 J.D. Harre., H. Duane Harrel, David Barrett & Joann Adams Vessels Stallion Farm, LLC (CA) Paul C. Jones Freddie Martinez

Dont Let Down g. Stoli--Babe On The Beach, by Invisible Injun :21.068 Bobby D. Cox Bobby D. Cox (TX) John S. Buchanan Juan Vasquez

Valliant Hero c. First Down Dash--Corona Chick, by Chicks Beduino :21.144 Henry & Melinda Brown, Homer Hill and Terry Bell Julianna Hawn Holt (TX) Michael W. Joiner G.R. Carter, Jr.

Feature For You f. Feature Mr Jess--Truly Yours, by Tolltac :21.146 Jacque J. Tanton Jacque J. Tanton (TX) C. Dwayne Gilbreath Joe Martinez

Royce Rogers g. Okey Dokey Dale--Oodles Of Cash, by Hooked On Cash :21.172 Becklyn Farms Becklyn Farms (TX) C. Dwayne Gilbreath Joe Martinez

Mightys First Call f. Calligrapher--Might Be A First, by First Down Dash :21.175 Richard R. Shearer Richard R. Shearer (NM) G. Blane Wood James Gonzales, II

Gus The Greek g. Relagate (TB)--Miss Ryon Dash, by Dash For Destiny :21.219 Lee & Sherwood Partnership Scarlett Hill Farm, Inc. (TX) Wesley Giles Tony Guymon

Hiclass La Jolla c. Streakin La Jolla--Hiclass Cloned, by Royal Quick Dash :21.262 Robert &/or Karen Nunnally Jo Rice (OK) John S. Buchanan Juan Vasquez

Ivory James c. Corona Cartel--Dashin Follies, by Strawfly Special :21.274 Sylvia Shaw Pitman & Bobby D. Cox Michael A. Pohl (TX) John S. Buchanan Juan Vasquez

Run Perry Run g. Mr Jess Perry--Telia Turner, by Special Effort :21.311 Mountain Racing, LLC Horner Running Horses, LLC (TX) Carl W. Draper Oscar Hernandez

Trial Notes: Rainbow Derby(G1) winner Separate Bet won the first of four trials by 1/2 length over Dont Let Down to post the fastest qualifying time.