WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2024

With the field set for the $3 million All American Futurity to be run Labor Day Monday at the Downs of Albuquerque, owners and  trainers offered some insight into the two-year-old quarter horses before the biggest race of their lifetimes:

1. Mountainaire: Trainer Toby Keeton believes the colt will be on the “upswing” having won both his Rainbow and All American trial races. While being trained as a yearling, Mountainaire suffered a chip in a hind ankle which caused a delay in development. Keeton says having the experience of jockey Ricky Ramirez will benefit the horse on the rail. “I think if he can settle down soon after the break, Ricky can really get ahold of him and run,” Keeton said. “The talent is there.” Mountainaire qualified with a twenty-mile-per-hour crosswind in race-twelve on Friday, the only horse to qualify in the late trial races on the card that afternoon.

• Owner: Wootan Racing and Roger Beasley

• Trainer: Toby Keeton

• Jockey: Ricky Ramirez

• Breeding: Favorite Cartel/Preyn On the Mountain (Ivory James)

2. KJ Bad Moon Rising: In terms of pedigree KJ Bad Moon Rising is one to consider as a top contender. The gelding’s mother is a half-sister to former All American champion KJ Desparado who is quarter horse racing’s all-time moneymaker at over $3 million. “He’s a happy horse,” trainer Wes Giles said about the only New Mexico-bred in the All American Futurity final. The connections felt confident enough to take a shot at the All American following a third-place finish in the state-bred Zia Futurity in late July.

• Owner: John and Kathy Lee

• Trainer: Wes Giles

• Jockey: Christian Ramos

• Breeding: KJ Mucho Macho Man/KJ Kiss Me Goodbye (First Moonflash)

3. Hezgothelook Z: The All American Futurity spotlight is shining brightly on this gelding with a chance to win the Triple Crown on Monday. Winning all three races is so difficult to do because it requires being on your game six straight times—which might be the most difficult task in racing. “I’ve been blessed,” trainer Keeton said. “This is the most sound horse that I’ve ever trained. His work ethic and sleep pattern is perfect for a horse that’s trying to accomplish something special like a Triple Crown. I’ve had plenty of horses that were talented, but this horse has both the physical and mental capacity to do it.” Keeton says whatever the outcome is on Monday, Hezgothelook Z will rest at his ranch in Seguin, Texas until next summer. “He deserves it,” Keeton said.

• Owner: Norma Olivarez

• Trainer: Toby Keeton

• Jockey: Bryan Candanosa

• Breeding: Favorite Cartel/Shezgothelook (Fdd Dynasty)

4. Brink Man V: There are two important strategic moves behind this gelding that finished third behind Hezgothelook Z in the Ruidoso Futurity. The horse skipped an appearance in the mid-summer Rainbow in order to rest-up for his chance in the All American. “We’ve got a fresher horse,” trainer Heath Taylor said. “The other strategy was to select the post position alongside the favorite so that our horse can try and keep up when they break.” Taylor believes Brink Man V will benefit from the fewer starts and the 440-yard distance to be fastest late.

• Owner: Sammy Valeriano

• Trainer: Heath Taylor

• Jockey: Francisco Calderon

• Breeding: Apollitical Jess/Itea (Corona Cartel)

5. Ariatt: Owner Javier Rodriguez of La Feliz Montana Ranch is convinced this gelding will improve even more from the fastest trial time of 21.367 seconds for 440-yards. “He was an April baby so Ariatt has always been behind the others in development just because of the calendar,” Rodriguez said. Since the trial race the gelding has been on an eating-spree gaining more than fifty pounds of muscle. “This horse has changed so much in the past few weeks,” he said. “He has grown significantly both physically and mentally to the extent that we’re confident in his chances on Monday.”

• Owner: Javier Rodriguez

• Trainer: Xavier Rodriguez

• Jockey: Luis Martinez

• Breeding: Tempting Dash/Lethal Lil (Corona Cartel)

6. Painted Eclipse: The gelding was considered a major player in this class of two-year-olds from the start of the season having won the West Texas Futurity at Sunland Park in the spring, and making the final of the Ruidoso Futurity finishing fifth. “We decided to skip the Rainbow and point the horse towards the All American Futurity and the Texas Classic,” owner Rodriguez said. The gelding looks the part of a champion—long legs, physically big in stature with longshot odds.

• Owner: Javier Rodriguez and Ray Willis

• Trainer: Xavier Rodriguez

• Jockey: Sergio Becerra Jr.

• Breeding: Pyc Paint Your Wagon/Safari Moonlight (One Famous Eagle)

7. Turners Hot Habit: Trainer Ricardo Aermendariz Jr. broke just seven two-year-olds in the wintertime which is an impressive accomplishment to have trained one of his horses for the All American final. “This horse never quits,” he said. “We’ve got a fast horse and a starting gate with an equal chance to win. Anything can happen in the final.”

• Owner: Fanky Busani

• Trainer: Ricardo Armendariz Jr.

• Jockey: Jacob Enriquez

• Breeder: Flying Cowboy 123/One Hot habit (Walk Thru Fire)

8. Peepl R Scrambled: The only filly in the All American final can be her own worst enemy according to trainer Keeton. “She’s a good-sized filly with tons of talent,” he said. “When we were breaking her she would tend to be head-strong. We gave her plenty of time to develop and she’s eventually came around to success in her last two races.”

• Owner: Normal Olivarez

• Trainer: Toby Keeton

• Jockey: Edwin Escobedo

• Breeding: Apollitical Blood/Peepl R Krazi (Ivory James)

9. Highly Regarded V: Trainer Taylor was first to select a post position for the All American Futurity final and picked number-nine. “I wanted to get away from the rail,” he said. “The horse qualified from the inside but the jockey said the horse got distracted from all the cars in the parking lot so I put her completely away from all that. Highly Regarded V also skipped the Rainbow to be fresh for the All American trials which was Taylor’s same strategy as stablemate Brink Man V.

• Owner: Sammy Valeriano

• Trainer: Heath Taylor

• Jockey: Juan Pulido

• Breeding: Apollitical Jess/Lethal Class (Tres Seis)

10. Fdd Dreams: The gelding matches Hezgothelook Z with seven total starts which is plenty for any two-year-old. “This horse has plenty of experience,” owner Javier Rodriguez said. “I like the outside for him because there’s plenty of room out there and he should be able to avoid  traffic.” Fdd Dreams has made the finals of the West Texas Futurity at Sunland Park and ran second to Hezgothelook Z in the Rainbow Futurity.

• Owner: Javier Rodriguez

• Trainer: Xavier Rodriguez

• Jockey: Noe Garcia Jr.

• Breeding: Fdd Dynasty/Treasured Dreams (Apollitical Jess)