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Valiant Hero and G.R. Carter, Jr. setting the
fastest time in the Rainbow Derby trials.
Photo by Bill Pitt, Jr.
Valiant Hero Faces Jones Fivesome In Richest Rainbow In Two Decades RUIDOSO DOWNS, NM—JULY 18, 2007—Fastest-qualifier
Valiant Hero figures to be the favorite to earn the $223,615 first-place check from the $447,230 purse in the richest Grade 1 Rainbow Derby in 20 years on Saturday afternoon at Ruidoso Downs.
In 1987, champion Florentine won the Rainbow Derby when purse was $506,172. Since then, until Saturday’s running, the highest purse was $410,741 in 2005, the year that DM Shicago won on his way to his world championship.
First post time is 1:00 p.m. with free parking and free grandstand admission. The 440-yard Rainbow Derby runs as the ninth race on the 10-race program. The $625,000 Rainbow Futurity completes “Rainbow weekend” at Ruidoso Downs when it is run over 400 yards on Sunday afternoon.
A sale-topping $500,000 purchase at the 2005 Ruidoso Select Quarter Horse Yearling Sale who has earned $571,431, Valiant Hero has been sensational with seven wins from 11 career starts and is at the top of his game, riding a 4-race winning streak. The First Down Dash colt’s winning streak started when he won the Grade 1, $1 million Texas Classic Futurity at Lone Star Park on Dec. 2 for now-retired hall-of-fame trainer Jack Brooks.
Mike Joiner took over the training this year with Valiant Hero and the powerful colt kept winning with wins in his Heritage Place Derby trial, the Heritage Place Derby and setting the fastest-qualifying time to the Rainbow Derby. In his Rainbow Derby trial, Valiant Hero won by a half length over The Crawfish while racing the 440 yards in :21.129, the fastest time from three trials.
Four-time defending national champion jockey G.R. Carter rides Valiant Hero with the second post position.
Jones sent out Strawkins to win last year’s Rainbow Derby in track-record time and the 5-time defending national champion trainer saddles five horses in the Rainbow Derby. The Jones’ contingent has the second- through the sixth-fastest qualifying times.
Separate Bet, another horse who was trained by Brooks last year, is a very fast horse who has won each of his two 2007 by impressive margins for Jones. In his 2007 debut, he broke the Ruidoso Downs 400-yard track record with his :19.18 time while winning by more than three lengths. The Separatist gelding came back to win his Rainbow Derby trial by more than two lengths in :21.228.
Freddie Martinez rides Separate Bet with the sixth post position.
The Jones-trained
The Crawfish raced to the second-fastest time of :21.129 when he was second to Valiant Hero in their trial. The Mr Jess Perry colt qualified for two $1 million-plus Grade 1 futurities at Los Alamitos last year.
The Crawfish has the third post position with Cody Jensen aboard.
Jones’
La Lalique is also in peak form. The classy Corona Cartel filly set the fastest-qualifying time to the 400-yard Ruidoso Derby and then was beaten by just a head in the Ruidoso Derby as the 9-5 favorite. She was third behind Valiant Hero and The Crawfish in their Rainbow Derby trial and holds the fourth-fastest qualifying time, :21.381.
Joe Martinez pilots La Lalique with the eighth post position.
Rounding out Jones’ five horses are two more Ruidoso Derby qualifiers,
Twoforthedough, also a First Down Dash colt, and the Stoli gelding
Already Rude, who finished first and second in their Rainbow derby trial.
Twoforthedough starts from the outside post position with Esgar Ramirez up while Already Rude has the nine hole and jockey Saul Ramirez.
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July 18th 2007, 1:04 am