2025 All American Derby-G1 Contenders

Albuquerque, New Mexico
Story by Emily Paulk, Speedhorse • Photos by Linda Earley, Speedhorse 

★ Qualifiers to the 2025 Grade 1, $1,077,461 All American Derby ★
Trials: August 6 • Finals: September 1

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The $1,077,461 All American Derby-G1, Quarter Horse racing’s richest race for three year olds, will be contested on September 1 at The Downs at Albuquerque. On August 6, six trials were held to determine the 10 finalists. The trials were run on a fast track under hazy skies with temperatures near 93 degrees, with mostly crosswinds ranging from 0–5 mph. This year’s field is made up entirely of geldings, with House Of Lords setting the fastest qualifying time of :20.780 in the fourth trial. Bred by Buck Way Ranch, LLC and owned by Valeriano Racing Stables, LLC, House Of Lords is by Flying Cowboy 123 out of This Candys Okay. He is trained by Victor Rodriguez-Flores and was ridden by Francisco Calderon.

Among the 10 qualifiers are multiple homebreds, including FDD Dreams, Ariatt, and KJ Born To Be Wild. FDD Dreams and Ariatt are both campaigned by La Feliz Montana Ranch, LLC while KJ Born To Be Wild is campaigned by John and Kathy Lee and Ruben Mares. Others in the final field include Jess Sonny D for MRB Racing LLC, Big Bang Rocket for Joshua Owens, Beach Fire for Curtis Crenwelge and partners, AJs Flashnthachicks for Paragon Farms LLC, Holy Pete for Zane Kiehne, and Hovland for La Feliz Montana Ranch LLC.

Trainer Xavier Rodriguez leads all trainer with three finalists, including FDD Dreams, Ariatt, and Hovland. Francisco Calderon was the winning jockey aboard three qualifiers, including House Of Lords, Ariatt, and Big Bang Rocket.

Apollitical Jess is the standout sire with four of the ten finalists: KJ Born To Be Wild, Jess Sonny D, Big Bang Rocket, and AJs Flashnthachicks.

Already a stakes performer, Big Bang Rocket adds another major accomplishment to his résumé with a qualifying spot in the 2025 All American Derby-G1. The gelding, a 2023 Ruidoso Yearling Sale graduate, earned his berth with a strong trial performance on August 6, stopping the clock in :21.065 to secure the eighth-fastest qualifying time. A son of Apollitical Jess out of Budder Think Twice by First Down Dash, Big Bang Rocket is trained by Michael W. Joiner and ridden by Francisco Calderon. He races for owner Joshua Owens and was bred by McColee Land & Livestock, LLC.

Already a graded stakes competitor, KJ Born To Be Wild added another victory to his three-year-old season by winning his All American Derby-G1 trial on August 6. The gelding pulled away late under jockey Noe Garcia, Jr. to win by a nose and secure the third-fastest qualifying time of :20.971. Earlier this year, KJ Born To Be Wild won his Ruidoso Derby-G1 trial and competed in the final, finishing in sixth place. A finalist in last year’s Texas Classic Futurity-G1, the son of Apollitical Jess continues to show he belongs among the best of his division. A homebred for John and Kathy Lee along with Ruben Mares, KJ Born To Be Wild is trained by Wesley T. Giles.

Making seven starts this season, Ajs Flashnthachicks has hit the board twice, including a third-place finish in his All American Derby-G1 trial on August 6. Under jockey Ricky Ramirez, the gelding broke alertly and remained in contention throughout, finishing third and securing the final qualifying spot. Ajs Flashnthachicks was bred in Oklahoma by Flashing My Pjs Partnership, is owned by Paragon Farms, LLC, and is trained by Trey Wood. The sorrel gelding is by Apollitical Jess and is out of Flashing My Pjs, by First Moonflash. Ajs Flashnthachicks was a $360,000 Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale purchase. 

Hovland stepped up with a strong performance in the All American Derby-G1 trials, finishing second in his trial to record the sixth-fastest qualifying time of :21.049. Earlier this year, the gelding showed promise in both the Grade 1 Rainbow and Ruidoso Derby trials. He also hit the board as a juvenile in the Texas Classic Futurity-G1 trials and scored a maiden win at Ruidoso Downs last summer. Bred in Texas by Bobby D. Cox, Hovland is sired by Freighttrain B and is out of Jess A Sweetie, by Apollitical Jess. He is owned by La Feliz Montana Ranch, LLC, trained by Xavier E. Rodriguez, and was ridden in the trials by Luis Martinez. The gelding was a $59,000 purchase at the Heritage Place Fall Mixed Sale.

House Of Lords had a clean break under jockey Francisco Calderon and quickly seized the lead in the fourth of six trials, staying strong under pressure to cross the wire first by 1 3/4-length and secure the fastest qualifying time for the $1,077,461 All American Derby-G1 with :20.780. Earlier this year, the gelding secured his first graded stakes win by capturing the Heritage Place Derby-G2. Bred in Oklahoma by Buck Way Ranch, LLC and owned by Valeriano Racing Stables, LLC, House Of Lords is by Flying Cowboy 123 out of the Okey Dokey Dale mare This Candys Okay. He is trained by Victor H. Rodriguez-Flores. The gelding was a $65,000 purchase at the Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale. 

No stranger to stakes competition, Beach Fire finished third in a West Texas Derby-G3 trial at Sunland Park before qualifying for the finals, where he placed sixth. In the Rainbow Derby-G1 trials at Ruidoso Downs, Beach Fire encountered a tougher field and finished seventh. But in his All American Derby-G1 trial at Albuquerque, the gelding broke sharply, held his ground and surged late to claim a win and the ninth-fastest qualifying time for the final. Beach Fire is a California-bred by Favorite Cartel and out of Weownthenite, by Walk Thru Fire. He races for the partnership of Crenwelge, Giles, Lee, Vincent, and Laird. He is trained by Wesley T. Giles and ridden by Jesus Rios Ayala. The gelding was a $77,000 purchase at the Heritage Place Yearling Sale.

Jess Sonny D, a stakes-placed gelding, put in a solid performance in the All American Derby-G1 trials on August 6, finishing a determined second to clock the fifth-fastest qualifying time of :21.015 for the $1,077,461 final. The son of Apollitical Jess has shown remarkable consistency throughout the 2025 season, hitting the board in four of five starts, including runner-up finishes in both the Ruidoso Invitational Stakes and at Albuquerque in his most recent effort. Bred in Oklahoma by Flag Ranch, LLC, Jess Sonny D is owned by MRB Racing, LLC and trained by Manuel Rodolfo Rodriguez. He was ridden in the trials by Oscar Andrade, Jr. The gelding was a $280,000 purchase at the Heritage Place Yearling Sale.

Multiple graded stakes winner FDD Dreams continued his standout three-year-old campaign with another strong showing, finishing second in his All American Derby-G1 trial to secure the fourth-fastest qualifying time of :20.976 for the $1,077,461 final. Already a winner of the Ruidoso Derby-G1 earlier this summer and a Rainbow Derby-G1 trial victor, the gelding has won three of four starts in 2025 and hit the board in all of them. Last year, he capped his 2-year-old season with a victory in the Texas Classic Futurity-G1. Bred and owned by La Feliz Montana Ranch, LLC, FDD Dreams is by FDD Dynasty and is out of Treasured Dreams by Apollitical Jess. The talented gelding is trained by Xavier E. Rodriguez and was ridden in the trials by Luis Martinez.

After capturing this season’s Ruidoso Invitational Stakes and qualifying for the Rainbow Derby-G1, Holy Pete continued his consistent form with another impressive performance. The gelding entered the All American Derby-G1 trials coming off two wins from three starts this year and did not disappoint. In his trial, Holy Pete broke alertly under Ali Rivera and kept a strong, steady bid throughout the 440-yard dash to cross the finish line first, earning the second-fastest qualifying time with a time of :20.910. Holy Pete was bred by Bobby Simmons and races in the colors of Zane Kiehne. The gelded son of Favorite Cartel is out of Suze Returns, by High Rate Of Return, and is trained by veteran trainer John A. Stinebaugh. The gelding was a $100,000 purchase in the Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale.  

Ariatt has made four starts this season, finishing in the top three in two of them. During his All American Derby-G1 trial at The Downs at Albuquerque, the gelding broke alertly and maintained strong form throughout, finishing just behind the leaders with a time of :21.052, fast enough to earn the seventh-fastest qualifying spot. Bred and owned by La Feliz Montana Ranch, LLC, Ariatt is a gelded son of Tempting Dash and is out of Lethal Lil by Corona Cartel. He is trained by Xavier E. Rodriguez, and Francisco Calderon was aboard for the qualifying effort.