In the $90,636 Mountain Top TB Derby, Icy Morning Breeze, a 3-year-old filly, broke quickly and held off a stellar field of state-breds to win with a time of :17.28 in the $90,636 Mountain Top TB Derby. She paid $13.20, $4.80 and $4.00. There was a dead heat for second place between Fanncee and Bigg Dee.
Read MorePainted Snowclouds is expected to be 9-to-5 betting choice on Saturday’s race card in the $96,969 Ruidoso Maiden Stakes to be run as the 8th race on the card.
Read MoreThe rain that had been coming down for about an hour prior stopped just in time for the running of the $1 Million G1 Ruidoso Futurity, the first jewel in the Quarter Horse Triple Crown. The horse that crossed the finish line first by a neck was Jess Savin Candy who went off at race-time with odds of 10-1 and paid $24.00 to win, $8.20 to place and $6.20 to show on a fast track with a time of :17.559.
Read MoreEmpressum, the gelding who set a new track record at 400-yards in the Ruidoso Derby trials, showed that it was no fluke by winning the G1 $673,567 Ruidoso Derby with a time of:19.33 today over a fast track. The race-time favorite paid $4.00, $2.80, and $2.40 winning by a length over Valiant Stars who finished second, and Jettz who ran third.
Read MoreTrainer Todd Fincher had quite a day, running first through third in the first leg of the Mountain Top TB Futurity trials and first and second in the second leg. But his biggest win came in the Ruidoso QH Invitational Stakes.
Read MoreWith the real money on the line, can Empressum continue to impress following the gelding’s track record performance in the trials for the $700,000 Ruidoso Derby?
Read MoreJockey Kelsi Purcell will attempt to stay unbeaten for the season when she rides Arranged Vows in the 8th race as the 5/2 favorite Friday afternoon at Ruidoso Downs Race Track. Kelsi has four wins in four races.
Read MoreLive racing continues at Ruidoso Downs this weekend with the running of the first leg of the Quarter Horse Triple Crown, the $1 Million Ruidoso Futurity, on Sunday, June 13. The Grade 1 stakes race features 2-year-old Quarter Horses racing 350-yards to claim the $1 Million purse and the first win in the prestigious Triple Crown series. Post time for the 10th race is set for 5:15 PM MDT. The race will be broadcast live on The Cowboy Channel beginning at 4:00 PM.
Read MoreDf Fabulous Jackie, a 3-year-old filly, broke on top and never looked back to win the second race and was clocked with the fastest time of the day of 17.573 seconds for 350-yards during trials for the $96,968 Ruidoso Maiden Stakes Sunday at Ruidoso Downs Race Track. The track was fast and there was a 12 MPH headwind on a mostly sunny day.
Read MoreBigg Dee, a three-year-old New Mexico-bred Quarter Horse, overcame an awkward beginning and powered down the race track to win his trial race and earn the fastest time of the day during trials for the Mountain Top Derby at Ruidoso Downs Race Track. On a fast track with a slight 6 MPH headwind, Bigg Dee made the 350-yard trip in :17.551.
Read MoreMr Innovator, a 2-year-old New Mexico-bred Quarter Horse, broke first and drew clear of competitors to win his Mountain Top Futurity trial Friday afternoon at Ruidoso Downs Race Track by a length-and-a-quarter and was clocked with the fastest time of the day of:17.859 for 350-yards.
Read MoreTim Keithley picks horses to watch on Friday, June 4, 2021, in Ruidoso Downs Race Track’s Mountain Top Futurity Trials..
Read MoreFollowing a strong opening weekend that showed a 37% increase in mutuel handle from 2019 wagering totals, Ruidoso Downs Race Track is announcing a 20% increase in overnight purses which will begin when the second condition book of the season is released on June 11.
Read MoreCers Final Try sped down a sloppy race track and won the $25,000 John Andreini Memorial Stakes on Monday at Ruidoso Downs to the delight of fans who bet him down as the favorite at just over 2-1. The winner’s time was 17.58 seconds for 350-yards on a track that had seen heavy rain throughout the afternoon.
Read MoreEmpressum broke the 400-yard track record winning the 8th race in :19.149 and leads qualifiers in the $700,000 (est.) Ruidoso Derby trials. The previous track record for 400-yards was set by Charvet during the trials for the 2013 Ruidoso Derby in a time of 19.151. Empressum, winner of the Remington Derby on April 17, paid a $30,000 fee to supplement into today’s trials.
Read MoreOn Day 2 of the Ruidoso Futurity trials, Revenant Moon ran a near flawless race in the first trial heat and covered the 350 yards in :17.462. That time stood the test of 15 more trial heats to become the fastest qualifying time of Day 2, and the third-fastest time over two days. The filly’s trainer Trey Wood also had a banner day, qualifying two horses for the Ruidoso Futurity final on June 13 and winning five races on the day. The track was fast, and the wind shifted from race to race on a mostly sunny day.
Read MoreMuch like Friday, the day started with a decent tailwind which eventually switched to a headwind. Unlike yesterday, however, following the move to a headwind for races 8 through 10 the weather changed back to a mix of tailwind and crosswind. Also unlike yesterday, when trainer Trey Wood had no runners qualify for the finals or consolation, today he produced two qualifiers for the finals, including the day's fastest time when Revenant Moon kicked off the card winning in 17.462.
Read MoreOn Day 1 of the Ruidoso Futurity trials, Jess Fire Me charged down the track to clock the fastest time of the day, crossing the finish line with a time of :17.42. Jess Fire Me ran in the 9th trial race along with second-place finisher Jess Savin Candy and third-place finisher Lethal Jet both of whom qualified out of the 9th race as well. The track was fast under a mostly sunny sky, and the first 12 races had a tailwind while the last four battled a crosswind that turned to a stiff headwind.
Read MoreClear skies and a near-steady tailwind for most of the day greeted the return of racing this Friday. In the seventh race, Toby Keeton's Mr Apollo Jess took the fastest time to that point, completing 350 yards in 17.590. This two-year-old colt raced three times at Remington Park, qualifying for the finals of the Oklahoma Bred Futurity under the care of trainer Kelly Heltzel.
Read MoreRuidoso Downs Race Track opens its summer meet on Friday, May 28 with two days of trials for the first leg of the Quarter Horse Triple Crown, the Ruidoso Futurity. Sunday will showcase Ruidoso Derby trials, and Monday's program will feature a flag ceremony on the track after the 3rd race in honor of Memorial Day along with the running of the John Andreini Memorial Stakes.
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