Apollitical Jess earned a hard-fought one-half length win over world-record holder Double Down Special to claim the fastest qualifying time for Sunday’s $1,548,076, G1 All American Derby at Ruidoso Downs. Ridden by Eduardo Nicasio, the Mr Jess Perry son stopped the clock at :20.878 for 440 yards.

Double Down Special, who had a troubled start and recovered to mount a charge under jockey Jacky Martin, raced to the second-fastest time of :20.957. Apollitical Jess dug in and repelled that challenge to win by one-half length under jockey Eduardo Nicasio.

“I liked drawing next to (Double Down Special). It gave him something to run with,” said Juan Aleman, who trains Apollitical Jess for Rancho el Cabresto.

Apollitical Jess matured at the end of his 2-year-old season when he finished second in the G1 Los Alamitos Two Million in Southern California. His next start was at Ruidoso Downs this summer.

“I had him ready for the Rainbow (Derby in July), but he had trouble in his trial and still ran :21.37,” said Aleman. Apollitical Jess then tuned up for the All American Derby trials with a very fast 350-yard allowance win in a near-track-record :17.032.

A strapping colt, Apollitical Jess reminds Aleman of his dam, Apollitical Time, who he trained to earn back-to-back championship titles and $904,242.

Vanessa Bartoo’s Double Down Special, the nation’s highest-ranked 3-year-old Quarter Horse, was sent off as the 7-10 trial favorite, following four-straight wins. Trained by John Stinebaugh, the gelded son of The Down Side set a 400-yard world record of :18.613 in the West Texas Derby at Sunland Park, then won the G1 Ruidoso Derby by a neck under 7-time All American Futurity winner Jacky Martin.

Stinebaugh passed on the Rainbow Derby and pointed Double Down Special to the All American Derby trials, where he was a $40,000 supplemental nominee.

The third-place horse in the same trial as Apollitical Jess and Double Down Special and the third-fastest qualifier, in just his fourth career start, is Mr Truly Uno, a homebred trained by Dwayne “Sleepy” Gilbreath for Jacque Tanton, Dublin, TX.

“He’s a nice horse. He’s a fast horse,” said Gilbreath of the gelded son of Feature Mr Jess. “We had a terrible year with him last year. He tore a check ligament, and you don’t see that much in Quarter Horse racing. We had to lay him off his whole 2-year-old year.”

Mr Truly Uno, who underwent surgery for the injury, made his career debut in April at Remington Park where he finshed fourth and eighth in two starts. He rebounded to win a 400-yard maiden race Ruidoso Downs on June 18.

“Things started coming together for him here,” said Gilbreath about Mr Truly Uno, who will be ridden in in the All American Debry by Joe Martinez. “I look for a good race out of him.”

All American Derby qualifiers: Apollitical Jess, 20:878; Double Down Special, 20.957; Mr Truly Uno, 21.138: Callan Rocks, 21.142; Shesa First Ratify, 21.173; Streakin Down, 21.183; First Corona Call, 21.187; Smoky Stone, 21.206; Favorite Cartel, 21.229; Zoomin With Ease, 21.257.