New Mexico-Breds Featured This Weekend in Mountain Top Futurity & Derby Trials at Ruidoso Downs   

      New Mexico two-year-old quarter horses will be featured Friday during trials for the $339,230 Mountain Top Futurity at Ruidoso Downs. The thirteen-race card begins at 1 p.m., with the horses with the top-ten fastest times of the day advancing to the final on June 18.

       One of the top young runners is expected to be Bigg Shades of Gray and jockey Emilio Tapia, number-six in race 3, winner of the New Mexico Spring Fling at Sunland Park. Many of Friday’s horses will be making their career debut in the first major state-bred event of the season.

       On Saturday, three-year-old quarter horses will be in the spotlight for trials of the $200,000 (est) Mountain Top Derby. One of the top horses in the class is Doing Something Good and jockey Noe Garcia Jr., number-six in race 7, who competed in the All American Futurity last season.

        Sunday’s races will include the $123,790 Maiden Stakes for three-year-old quarter horses. This is a unique stakes event because the horses entered must have been a maiden (not won an official race) before March 1 of this year.

       This weekend’s activities continue after the races each evening with live entertainment in the Events Center located across from the grandstand. Friday’s free show by El Primer Instinto begins at 7 p.m., and tickets for Saturday show by Polo Urias can be purchased at the box office or online at www.raceruidoso.com. It also begins at 7 p.m.