Separate Bet claimed the Grade 1 $447,230 Rainbow Derby with a dominating 2 3/4 length win over favored Valiant Hero, on Saturday, July 21 at Ruidoso Downs.

The gelded son of Separatist, trained by Paul Jones for Harrel, Barrett and Adams, covered 440 yards in :20.97 on a muddy track, as the 8-5 second-favorite public choice. Strawkins set the track and stakes record of :20.73, when he won the 2006 Rainbow Derby.

“He stumbled a hair at the start,” said winning rider Freddie Martinez. “By the second jump he got going.”

Separate Bet joined the Jones stable this year after being trained by the now retired Jack Brooks to win the 2006 Rainbow Juvenile and qualifying for the All American Futurity.

In his first start this year, Separate Bet set the Ruidoso Downs 400-yard track record winning an allowance race by more than three lengths with a time of :19.18. He then won his Rainbow Derby trial by more than two lengths. His time of :21.228 was the third-fastest qualifying time.

“We were expecting a lot out of him,” said Jones. “Right now, we’re pointing him to the All American Derby and the Champion Of Champions.”

Valiant Hero, another former Brooks trainee, was the even-money favorite after winning his four previous starts, including two stakes victories, and recording the fastest time to the Rainbow Derby. He started his winning streak with the $1 million Texas Classic Futurity for Brooks and took the Heritage Place Derby for trainer Mike Joiner, before moving to Ruidoso Downs.

The remainder of the field, in order of finish: The Crawfish, Paul Jones; Twoforthedough, Paul Jones; Mr Gordon Shultz, Carl Draper; Already Rude, Paul Jones; Royal Snow, Fred Danley. La Lalique, Okey Dokey Fantasy and Voghts Gold were scratched.

Separate Bet was bred by Vessels Stallion Farm out of graded stakes winner Better Bet On Me by First Down Dash. Second dam Letter Be There is by Timeto Thinkrich, out of a Beduino (TB) daughter.