Separate Bet Makes Championship Run In All American Derby

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Separate Bet winning the $447,230 Rainbow Derby(G1) earlier this year at Ruidoso Downs.
Photo by Bill Pitt, Jr.

Separate Bet Makes Championship Run In All American Derby



RUIDOSO DOWNS, NM—AUGUST 30, 2007—Separate Bet could take a large step towards the world championship when he puts his undefeated 2007 record on the line in the Grade 1, $504,000 All American Derby on Sunday (September 2) afternoon at Ruidoso Downs.
First post time on Sunday is 12 noon and there will be an 11:30 a.m. first post time on Monday afternoon, All American Futurity day. In the finals to the Grade 1, $2 million All American Futurity, fastest qualifier and Ruidoso Futurity winner Heartswideopen meets the undefeated Rainbow Futurity winner Wild Six.

Separate Bet, the 7-5 derby morning-line favorite, has been perfect for 5-time defending national champion trainer Paul Jones this summer with four wins from four starts. The gray Separatist gelding started his summer in stunning fashion when he set the Ruidoso Downs’ 400-yard track record of :19.18 in his return from a winter’s rest.

Jones brought Separate Bet back in the trials to the Grade 1, $448,000 Rainbow Derby and he qualified while winning his trial by more than two lengths and then cruised through the derby finals by an equally large margin.

Separate Bet continued his perfect form in the All American Derby trials when he won in :20.994 for the 440 yards for the fastest qualifying time from four trials.

Separate Bet starts from the sixth post position and Freddie Martinez rides.

Separate Bet raced in a very strong trial and the two horses who finished behind him – Dont Let Down and Valiant Hero – have the second- and third-fastest qualifying times.

The Stoli gelding won the Grade 1 Dash For Cash Futurity at Lone Star Park last fall and was second behind Valiant Hero in the Grade 2 Heritage Place Derby in June.

Valiant Hero, a sale-topping $500,000 First Down Dash yearling purchase at the Ruidoso Select Quarter Horse Yearling Sale, has earned $643,398 with a win in the Grade 1, $1 million Texas Classic Futurity to go with his heritage Place Derby score.

Don’t Let Down has the fourth post position with Juan Vazquez riding while Valiant Hero drew the eighth post position and has the services of rider G.R. Carter Jr.