River Flash, a gray son of the Chicks Beduino stallion Chicks Regard racing for Robert M. Driggers and Ben Lee Ivey, is the fastest qualifier to the September 25, $160,000-added New Mexico State Fair Quarter Horse Derby (R) at Albuquerque Downs.
On Saturday, River Flash (pictured)won the third of five 400-yard trials by a clear two lengths in :19.332. Adrian Ramos rode the gelding for trainer Wes Giles.
River Flash will bring a six-race win streak into the State Fair Derby final, a streak that includes two stakes victories at Ruidoso Downs and one at SunRay Park. The gelding was bred by Ivey Cattle Co., and he has won eight of 12 starts and has earned $263,905, of which $229,185 has been banked from nine races this year.
Second-fastest qualifier Cowboy Zulu won the fifth trial by a neck from co-third fastest qualifiers BF Shes Outrageous and Miriam La Rebelde. Racing for Chuck Sonnenberg and trainer Fred Danley, Cowboy Zulu covered 400 yards in :19.386 while recording his fifth win in 16 outs and boosting his bankroll to $138,295. Noe Garcia Jr. rode the chestnut son of the First Down Dash stallion Zulu Dragon.
Cowboy Zulu was bred by Fred Danley. The gelding’s 2-year-old campaign included a victory in the November 1 New Mexico Cup Juvenile Stakes (R) at Zia Park, and he ran second in the Zia Futurity (RG1) at Ruidoso Downs.
BF Shes Outrageous races for Kevin Birrell from the barn of trainer Wes Giles. The homebred Big Daddy Cartel filly has won four of 12 starts — including last year’s Desert Classic Futurity (R) at Turf Paradise — and she has earned $85,678. The gray filly was also a finalist in last year’s Rainbow (G1) and New Mexico State Fair (RG3) futurities.
BF Shes Outrageous is out of BF Outrageous, a homebred stakes-winning daughter of the Special Effort stallion Proudest Effort.
Miriam La Rebelde is trained by Joe Honesto for owner Ramon Mendoza Sr., who also bred the chestnut Big Daddy Cartel filly. Raced in three states, including Oklahoma and Texas, Miriam La Rebelde has won one of four starts and has banked $20,177.
The complete list of finalists appears below:
| Horse (Sex, Pedigree) | Owner | Breeder (State) | Trainer | Time |
| RIVER FLASH G, Chicks Regard-Riverside Flash by First Moonflash | Robert M. Driggers and Ben Lee Ivey | Ivey Cattle Co. (NM) | Wes Giles | :19.332 |
| COWBOY ZULU G, Zulu Dragon-First Cowgirl Flash by First Moonflash | Fred Danley and Chuck Sonnenberg | Fred Danley (NM) | Fred Danley | :19.386 |
| BF SHES OUTRAGEOUS F, Big Daddy Cartel-BF Outrageous by Proudest Effort | Kevin Birrell | Birrell Farms (NM) | Wes Giles | :19.424 |
| MIRIAM LA REBELDE F, Big Daddy Cartel-Flash On A Dream by First Moonflash | Ramon Mendoza Sr. | Ramon Mendoza Sr. (NM) | Joe Honesto | :19.424 |
| PAPI GRANDE CARTEL G, Big Daddy Cartel-Posies Woodette by Woodbridge | David Bloomer | David Bloomer (NM) | Edgar Moreno | :19.478 |
| HOLLAND ROCK G, Rock Solid Jess-Holland Fire by Holland Ease | Bob McClure and Sissie McClure | Bob & Sissie McClure (NM) | Fred Danley | :19.493 |
| JC NEW DAWN G, Woodbridge-Fly Stolis Chick by Stoli | Telma Merez and Federico Gonzalez | Cynthia Guadalupe Gonzalez (NM) | Edgar Moreno | :19.493 |
| HS GOLDEN EAGLE F, Osbaldo-Catchtherain (TB) by Super Special (TB) | Lucina Salas Lopez | Hubaldo Solis (NM) | Armando Alamos | :19.494 |
| BIG CRUSH BB C, Big Daddy Cartel-Eagles First Down by One Famous Eagle | Ralph W. Vincent and Beverly Bourguet | Ralph Vincent and Beverly Bourguet (NM) | Seth Ferguson | :19.538 |
| LMG FIRST CALL G, First Moonflash-Call Me 333 by One Sweet Jess | LMG Racing Inc. | LMG Racing Inc. | Mike Joiner | :19.587 |