The Diesel Train Fastest in Day-Two Trials For All American Futurity at Downs of Albuquerque

(Albuquerque, NM) The Diesel Train and Jockey Omar Iturralde defeated Rovos Rail and jockey Joseph Belloc Jr. by a neck in the eleventh race during trials for the $3 million All American Futurity to qualify with the fastest time of the day, 21.060 seconds for 440-yards.

“When he was getting close to the wire he kicked it into another gear and we just cruised on home,” Omar said. “He’s a great horse.”

The Diesel Train won for the second time in six career starts, having also made the finals of the West Texas Futurity at Sunland Park and the Ruidoso Juvenile at Ruidoso Downs. The Louisiana-bred is owned and trained by Omar’s older brother Luis Daniel Iturralde who trains in New Mexico. Adelita Lopez is a partner in the horse’s ownership.

The Diesel Train’s sire is Freightrain B out of the mare Apollotah by Apollitical Jess. The colt paid $18.00, $7.40 and $3.20.

Rovos Rail ran close enough to also qualify from the same race in a time of 21.104 seconds. The colt is owned by R and G Partnership and trained by JJ Gonzales III. Rovos Rail was bred in Oklahoma and is sired by Freightrain B out of the mare Mavara Vegas by Fdd Dynasty and was purchased at the Ruidoso Select Sale for $100,000.

Trainer Wes Giles qualified two quarter horses to the All American Final with KJ Xquizit Jess and Lethal Lobo. “I’m proud of my riders and proud of my horses. We went through the same thing yesterday and got knocked out late, so we feel pretty good today.”

KJ Equizit Jess and jockey Emilio Tapia won the first trial of the day by one-and-a-quarter lengths in a time of 21.121 seconds. The gelding paid $7.60, $2.40 and $2.20 for owners John and Kathy Lee and Rube Mares. The Arizona homebred is sired by Apollitical Jess out of the mare Xquizit by Ivory James.

Lethal Lobo and jockey Noe Garcia Jr. won the fifteenth trial of the day by three-quarters length in a time of 21.194 seconds for owner Ricardo Ramiez. The Texas-bred is sired by Favorite Cartel out of the mare Lethal Delight by Dean Miracle and paid $8.40, $3.40 and $2.40. The gelding was purchased at the Ruidoso Select Sale for $200,000.

Dee Favorite Tacha and jockey Jess Lee Levario qualified by winning the second trial in a time of 21.176 seconds for owners Ricardo Armendariz Jr. and Eric Pineda. Ricardo also trains the Oklahoma-bred gelding sired by Dulce Sin Tacha out of the mare Dee Favorite Girl by Favorite Cartel. The gelding was purchased at the Ruidoso Select Sale for $25,000.

Trials continue on Wednesday August 6th, for three-year-olds competing in the $1 million All American Derby and $700,000 All American Oaks. First post time is 11 a.m. for ten scheduled races.