FROM ARAPAHOE PARK, AURORA, COLORADO www.facebook.com/ArapahoeRacing
JUNE 6, 2012 FOR MORE INFORMATION: JONATHAN HOROWITZ, (949) 246-7075, @JJHorowitz
GANDARILLA SADDLES FOUR, BARRON THREE IN WEST/SOUTHWEST ADEQUAN DERBY
Trainers Chris Gandarilla and Jose Manuel Barron will send out 70 percent of the field of 10 for the finals of the West/Southwest Adequan Derby Challenge at Arapahoe Park on Saturday. Gandarilla will saddle four runners, including fastest qualifier Ultimate Wave, owned by Junior's Quarter Horses, Inc., and Barron trains three for owner Hugo Barron Sierra in the 400‑yard, $30,000 race for 3-year-olds that will earn the winner a berth in the $200,000 Adequan Derby Challenge on Bank of America Challenge Championship at Prairie Meadows in Iowa on October 27.
Gandarilla's Ultimate Wave clocked 20.146 seconds into a stiff headwind in winning the first of three trials, which was his first career victory in three lifetime starts. Jockey Russell Vicchrilli, who rode the gray colt in the trials, will be back aboard on Saturday. Barron's Wave Good Bye Baby was second in the trial in the second-fastest qualifying time of 20.274 seconds. The gray gelding comes into Saturday with the most experience in stakes races. He was third in the $100,000 Rocky Mountain Futurity and fourth in the $150,000 Mile High Futurity at Arapahoe Park last year. Alejandro Luna will ride.
Gandarilla and Junior's Quarter Horses also send out: Bumblebee, who was second in his trial in his first career race; maiden Cash This Panther, second in his trial; and maiden A Regal Warrior, third behind Ultimate Wave and Wave Good Bye Baby.
Barron and Barron Sierra also have Forever Here, winner of the second trial, and Hooray Cowgirl, the most experienced runner in the field with 10 lifetime starts but no wins and five seconds.
The rest of the field is completed by: owner, trainer Patrick Sanchez' Oak Tree Charlie, who won the third trial as a 16-1 longshot; owner SM Cattle Export and trainer Jaime Dominguez' Galion, who has slowly climbed the class ladder from maiden to claimer to allowance to stakes; and owner Johnny Trotter and trainer John Hammes' Hardly a Tres, who was third in her trial.
The other West/Southwest Challenge to be held at Arapahoe Park will be for the Merial Distaff Challenge. Trials will be on June 22 and finals on July 7. | 
