Loose teeth that kept her from eating for eight days and a strong challenge from champion Illegal Memories could not deter Heartswideopen from setting the fastest qualifying time to the G1 Rainbow Derby on Friday afternoon at Ruidoso Downs.

With Oscar Hernandez aboard, Heartswideopen rallied with a 440-yard time of :20.976, making her the first horse to race three consecutive quarter-mile races in under :21.00. She set the all-time fastest qualifying time of :20.921 to the All American Futurity and then won the All American in :20.997.

“She needed the competition and she got it today,” said Hernandez. “We had the lead and then (Illegal Memories) caught us and then she came back.”

The 2007 AQHA champion two-year-old and champion two-year-old filly, owned by Manny and Javier Rodriquez, won the first of four trials by a neck. Illegal Memories raced to the second-fastest time of :21.005. SF Royal Bank, who finished second to Heartswideopen in the All American Futurity, posted the fifth-fastest time.

A half-length victory in the Grade 1 Ruidoso Derby on June 7 came at a cost for Heartswideopen.  “She didn’t eat for eight days afterwards,” noted her trainer Carl Draper (pictured with Heartswideopen). “When she false broke [in the Derby] she loosened some teeth. But, she is doing well now.”

A daughter of Feature Mr Jess and champion Dashing Phoebe, Heartswideopen took another step towards matching the feat of another Draper trainee. DM Shicago, 2005 AQHA world champion, is the only horse to win the All American Futurity and follow with the three derby wins at Ruidoso the next year. Heartswideopen, with wins in the All American Futurity and the Ruidoso Derby, will now be favored in the Rainbow Derby on July 19, and pointed to the All American Derby on Labor Day weekend.

It was Heartswideopen’s ninth win from 10 career starts; she has earned nearly $1.5 million.

Illegal Memories, one of three qualifiers ridden by G.R. Carter, made his first start for trainer Heath Taylor in the Rainbow Derby trials. The 2007 champion two-year-old gelding won the $1 million Texas Classic Futurity and placed second in the G1 Dash For Cash Futurity.