Hammes set for Mile High stakes

Trainer John Hammes will saddle two of the four fastest qualifiers in the Grade 2, $105,925 Mile High Futurity and the top two qualifiers in the Grade 3, $67,925 Mile High Derby at Arapahoe Park on Sunday afternoon.

Rocky Mountain Futurity winner Turner On and Mile High Futurity second-fastest qualifier Josephine 2001 represent Hammes in the 400-yard Mile High Futurity.

Turner On, owned by Brad Tate, has won three of four career starts, including the Grade 3, $120,497 Rocky Mountain Futurity on July 26.

Josephine 2001, owned by Blaine Bateman, won her maiden in her fourth career start when she captured her 400-yard Mile High Futurity trial in the second-fastest time of 20.17 seconds.

Hammes's two qualifiers to the Mile High Derby are Hez Cool Man and Smokin Corona.

Hez Cool Man, owned by Tom Bradbury and Marvin Willhite, topped the qualifiers with a 19.839-second time for the 400 yards while winning by 1 3/4 lengths. He was second in the Grade 3 Aurora Derby to Rarest Daisy, who also qualified for the Mile High Derby.

Second-fastest qualifier Smokin Corona won last year's Grade 3 Cherry Creek Futurity.