© Coady Photography
ALTOONA, IA—AUGUST 15, 2021—In the first in a pair of regional qualifiers to the 2021 Challenge Championships on Sunday afternoon, Fdd Princess earned a berth in the Derby division and won her first career stakes race in the $41,701 Adequan Prairie Meadows Derby Challenge.
Fdd Princess ($8.40) covered the 400-yard distance in :19.784 and earned a 96 speed index in the one-length victory.
Shawna Manriquez trains for owner Tom Scheckel; Bonifacio Perez had the call. Fdd Princess was bred in Texas by Jerry Windham, by FDD Dynasty and out of the Shazoom mare Viborita.
Fdd Princess earned $20,016 in the win and is now three for 14 lifetime with $52,028 earned. Last year, she competed in the John Deere Prairie Meadows Juvenile Challenge and raced in the Albuquerque Juvenile Stakes on Challenge Championship night. She won an allowance race at Prairie Meadows prior to Sunday’s victory.
Bayou a Cartel and Edwin Escobedo finished in second place for trainer Jason Olmstead and owners Kim Paulsen and Tom Maher. McColee Land and Livestock LLC bred the colt in Utah, by Corona Cartel and out of Louisana Corona, by Jess Louisiana Blue.
Bayou a Cartel recently qualified to the Prairie Meadows Gold Derby in July and made his first start in Altoona in June after spending most of his career competing in allowance races and trials at Remington and Los Alamitos. He is two for 11 lifetime and has earned $41,302.
Post-time favorite Not a Secret finished third with Agustin Silva aboard. The Hez Our Secret gelding is trained by Charlton Hunt and is owned by his breeder, Michael Teel. Teel bred him in Oklahoma out of Call As Maybe, by Mr Jess Perry.
Not a Secret is four for 14 with $65,474 earned. In his most recent effort, he finished third in the Prairie Meadows Gold Derby. He also qualified to the Valley Junction Futurity (G3) as a 2-year-old and ran in the Jack Brooks Stakes this spring at Remington.
Completing the field were Purty Darn Quick, Shes Tough Enough P, Wieburg, Kiss Me in the Snow and Apollitical Stunner.