The first trial heat for the Adequan Ruidoso Downs Derby Challenge Trials proved to be loaded with speed as seven of the ten qualifiers came out of that heat including Cherokee Senator who clocked the fastest time of the day on a fast track. The 3-year-old Texas-bred ran the 400-yards in 19.721 just beating second-place finisher Silk and Stilettos to the wire.
Read MorePeves Jackpot Jack raced down the track today and clocked the fastest qualifying time in the trials for the John Deere Ruidoso Downs QH Juvenile with a time of 17.556. The finals for the 350-yard, $25,000 race for two-year-olds will be run on August 15th.
Read MoreThis morning's worktab saw more quick training from two and three-year-old quarter horses putting in final preparations for the All American. Analytix, a three-year-old colt trained by John Buchanan, led the day's 220-yard works zipping along in 10.95.
Read MoreRacing royalty returns to Ruidoso Downs this weekend as 2018 All American Futurity champion Apocalyptical Jess returns to race in the $40,000 Mr Jet Moore Handicap on Sunday afternoon as #10 in the ninth race.
Read MoreAs we head closer to All American trials many contenders are putting in their final serious preparations. Thursday’s training had numerous workers getting ready.
Read MoreSunday’s featured tenth race, the $40,000 Mr Jet Moore Handicap, a 400-yard Grade 2 stakes race for 3-year-old and older Quarter Horses is shaping up to be a shoot-out. Morning line favorite Valiant Tiberias will have his hands full going up against the speedy Apocalyptical Jess, Higheasterjet Handicap winner Sc Moneymaker, and John Andreini Memorials Stakes champ New News who hopes to extend his winning streak to three in a row.
Read MoreZia Festival weekend was chock full of New Mexico-bred stakes action. Friday saw the Rio Grande Senorita and Senor trials for two-year-old thoroughbreds. Trainer Fred Danley came away with a victory in one of the Senorita trials with Fill The Bill, the disqualified winner of the Mountain Top Futurity, and a second-place effort by Bully Baby. Trainer Joel Marr completed the exacta in the first of the Senorita trials when Atill I Chime held off stablemate Speedy Wildcat who made a strong bid inside the former but could not get past.
Read MoreZia Festival Weekend concluded with a flurry of stakes races today at Ruidoso Downs Race Track including the featured Grade I Zia QH Futurity which was won by Hollyn Bootie. Hollyn Bootie, who ran the 400 yards in 19.85, is owned by Mark and Fay Annette McCloy who also won the Zia Derby yesterday with their horse Mister Riptide.
Read MoreWith rain coming down hard on a muddy track, Mister Riptide hit the wire first in the Grade II Zia Derby today at Ruidoso Downs Race Track. Last year’s winner of the Zia Futurity ran the 400-yard course in 19.885 to win the signature race for New Mexico-bred 3-year-olds on this weekend’s Zia Festival race card.
Read MoreNew Mexico-bred Thoroughbreds took center stage at Ruidoso Downs today to battle it out for a spot in the finals of the Rio Grande Senorita Futurity and the Rio Grande Senor Futurity finals. Only the first trial heat ran on a fast, dry track as there was an extended rain/lighting delay after which the track condition was changed to wet for the rest of the program. Each final race will go 5 ½ furlongs for a purse $125,000 on August 16th at Ruidoso Downs Race Track.
Read MoreNew Mexico horsemen who are blessed to train fast state-bred two-year-old quarter horses must solve this annual puzzle: Do we win the $392,537 Zia Futurity or point the horse to the $3 million All American Futurity trials in August? Or both?
Read MoreTrainer Juan M. Gonzalez sends out several live runners in stakes this weekend. The trainer's son, Juan Carlos, who oversees much of the day to day training, was quite high on their two runners in the Zia Derby as well as two other runners who are new to the barn.
Read MoreZia Festival weekend begins Friday with trials for the Rio Grande Señorita and Rio Grande Señor, for two-year-old New Mexico-bred thoroughbreds going five and one-half furlongs, the former restricted to fillies and latter to colts and geldings. There are horses who ran in the Mountain Top trials, some who ran in maiden races, and others making their debuts.
Read MoreIt was cloudy most of the day, but the sun started to peak through about the time of the Rainbow Juvenile Stakes and then the clouds parted nearly completely by the time of the Rainbow Futurity. However, there were no rainbows to be seen in the sky, but some great two year olds did show up on the track.
Whistle Stop Cafe broke clean and found another gear in the last 150 yards to win the Grade I $1 Million Rainbow Futurity by ¾ of a length over morning line favorite Mister Illusion. Seven ran third, and post time favorite and Ruidoso Futurity champion Cyber Monday finished fourth taking away any chance of a Triple Crown winner in the Quarter Horse division in 2020. Undefeated Whistle Stop Cafe, who ran the 400 yards in 19.492, returned $14.40 on a $2 win ticket. The race was run under partly cloudy skies on a fast track.
Read MoreIn the feature stakes race of the day, the Grade I Rainbow Derby, all eyes were on the filly Hotsempting who took on the colts and geldings in the open division instead of running in the new Oaks division for fillies. In the end, it came down to three horses hitting the wire almost simultaneously with Cers Final Try winning with a time of 21.368. Hotsempting ran a very close second with a time of 21.378, and Gold Heart Eagle V was third with a time of 21.380. The 440-yard dash for a purse of $710,414 was run under cloudy skies on a fast track with almost no wind.
Read MoreAfter two scratches in the Rainbow Invitational, the two runners from the also eligibles list drew in, so a field of ten went postward. The favorite was Love Is Everything V, trained by Eddie Willis and ridden by Jimmy Dean Brooks who was celebrating his 55th birthday today. It was definitely a happy birthday, as the sorel gelding dug in gamely to win by a neck.
Read MoreThe road to the All American Futurity, the world’s richest Quarter Horse race, continues this weekend at Ruidoso Downs Race Track as 10 of the fastest 2-year-olds race 400 yards for $1 Million in the Grade I Rainbow Futurity on Sunday. One of those horses includes Cyber Monday, the winner of the 2020 Ruidoso Futurity, who with a win would keep his hopes alive for having a shot at the $2 Million Triple Crown bonus.
Read MoreSaturday kicks off stakes action with the Rainbow Invitational Stakes, the inaugural Rainbow Oaks, and the Rainbow Derby in races six, eight and ten, respectively. The Rainbow Invitational is for three-year-olds who competed in the Rainbow Derby trials and did not qualify for the finals.
Read MoreTim Keithley talks with trainers for the Inside Track about the upcoming Rainbow Futurity at Ruidoso Downs Race Track.
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