Separate Bet continued his dominance at Ruidoso Downs this summer by setting the fastest qualifying time of :20.994 on Friday afternoon, to the Grade 1, $500,000 All American Derby at Ruidoso Downs. The 10 fastest qualifiers from the four trials are eligible to compete in the All American Derby on Sunday, September 2.

With Freddie Martinez aboard, Separate Bet defeated Dont Let Down by one-half of a length, while Valiant Hero finished third, another half-length back.

“He was bumped and Freddie just hand rode him,” said Separate Bet’s co-owner Jimmy Harrel. “We didn’t want to push him.”?

Separate Bet has been a tiger for trainer Paul Jones since returning to racing in June from a seven-month layoff. The Separatist-sired gelding has won each of his four starts, including the $448,000 Rainbow Derby. He also set a 400-yard track record of 19.18 while winning an allowance race by three lengths. He then won his Rainbow Derby trial by two-and-a-quarter lengths and the Rainbow Derby by nearly three lengths.

Bobby Cox-owned Dont Let Down and Valiant Hero, who followed Separate Bet over the finish line, had the second and third-fastest qualifying times. Dont Let Down won last fall’s Grade 1 Dash For Cash Futurity and was second in the Grade 1 Heritage Place Derby. Valiant Hero, a 2005 Ruidoso Horse Sale topper at $500,000, won the $1 million Texas Classic Futurity and the Heritage Place Derby.

Three top contenders failed to qualify for the Derby field: All American Futurity winner No Secrets Here finished third in the second trial. His time of :21.349 was the 11th-fastest. Okey Dokey Fantasy, winner of last fall’s $300,000 Southwest Juvenile Championship  clocked the 12th-fastest time, while Remember Me Rose, winner of the Grade  I1 Rainbow Derby, had the 14th fastest time.

2007 All American Derby Qualifiers: