Today featured partly cloudy skies, just a moderate wind, and plenty of stakes action. The eighth race kicked off three stakes in a row beginning with the Rita Danley Distaff Stakes for New Mexico-bred QH fillies and mares three years old and up.
Read MoreSunday afternoon at Ruidoso Downs Race Track included three premier races with Jess Cuz Pyc Can taking home the $89,176 Ruidoso Maiden Stakes, Close to Crazy winning the $40,000 Rita Danley Distaff and American Dubai finishing strong in the $25,000 Ruidoso Sprint Handicap.
Read MoreLeading Cartel took home the $359,069 Grade II Mountain Top Futurity for 2-year-old New Mexico-bred Quarter Horses on Saturday afternoon at Ruidoso Downs. Leading Cartel, a gelding by Big Daddy Cartel out of Leading Diva by Special Leader, is owned by Reliance Ranches, LLC (Micah Mckinney et al) and is trained by Mike Robbins.
Read MoreRuidoso Downs Race Track will open the Turf Club and Jockey Club to horse owners, members, and season ticket holders at 50% occupancy beginning on Friday, June 19th. Race track management was notified by Governor Lujan Grisham’s office late Wednesday afternoon that the Turf Club and the Ruidoso Jockey Club would be allowed to operate as restaurants using COVID-Safe Practices (CSPs).
Read MoreTim Keithley talks with trainers for The Inside Track about Saturday’s $359,069 Mountain Top Quarter Horse Futurity.
Read MoreTrainer Sergio Ibarra and jockey Sergio Bercerra, Jr. combined to sweep the $1 Million Grade 1 Ruidoso Futurity and the $100,000 Ruidoso Quarter Horse Juvenile today at Ruidoso Downs Race Track. Cyber Monday, a stand-out in the trials broke clean and powered to the wire to win by half a length, covering the 350 yards in:17.618.
Read MoreThe $100,000 Ruidoso Quarter Horse Juvenile and $1,000,000 Ruidoso Quarter Horse Futurity (Grade 1) were the highlight of the weekend and of Sunday's card. Trainer Sergio Ibarra followed up a big win on Saturday in the Ruidoso Quarter Horse Derby by sending out the winners of both of Sunday's stakes races.
Read MoreAfter leading the field in the time trials for the Ruidoso Derby, the filly Hotsempting proved once again that she has what it takes to run with the boys in an impressive win in the $900,000 Ruidoso Derby. Running into a stiff headwind, Hotsempting broke clean and never faltered over the 400 yards on her way to her first Grade 1 stakes win with a time of:20.00.
Read MoreAfter four trial heats for the Mountain Top Thoroughbred Futurity, a 5-furlong race for 2-year-old New Mexico-bred horses, trainer Todd Fincher was the man of the hour when five of the eight qualifying spots today were filled by horses from his barn. The final two positions will be filled in a Sunday morning draw by the third-place finishers in the four heats. Two horses from the Fincher barn will be vying for those spots as well.
Read MoreDuring a rainy afternoon that saw a brief weather delay, trainer Casey Lambert pulled off four wins Friday to take the early lead in the Thoroughbred standings at Ruidoso Downs Race Track.
Read MoreLISTEN NOW President and General Manager, Jeff True, speaks with Tim Keithley and Racetrack Sammy at KBUY-KWES Radio about the prospect of fans in the stands later this summer under COVID-Safe protocols and mass gathering restrictions.
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 7.
Read MoreIn the previous Stable Notes I discussed some of the qualifiers for the finals from Friday's Mountain Top NM Bred QH Futurity trials. One trainer's name surprisingly absent from that list was Wesley Giles who encountered a bit of bad luck throughout the day, notably with horses previously profiled as horses to watch.
Read MoreUnder a clear blue sky, Mystic Blues covered 350-yards in :17.48 and took home the $25,000 Dash For Speed Stakes for fillies and mares at Ruidoso Downs on Sunday afternoon.
Read MoreHock You recorded the fastest qualifying time of 17.753 during the Ruidoso Maiden Stakes Trials on Saturday afternoon at Ruidoso Downs. The top ten qualifiers for 3-, 4-, and 5-year-olds will compete in the finals at 350 yards on June 14th for a $90,000 purse.
Read MoreHeza Classy Now, a New Mexico-bred gelding, led the field of 10 qualifiers with a time of 17.712 on Friday afternoon during the Mountain Top Futurity Trials. The finals for the $350,000 Grade II Mountain Top Futurity for 2-year-old New Mexico-bred Quarter Horses will be held on June 13th at Ruidoso Downs Race Track.
Read MoreThe second weekend of live racing kicks off with The Mountain Top New Mexico Bred Futurity Trials on Friday, May 29th. On Saturday, The Ruidoso Maiden Stakes races are followed by the first two-year-old thoroughbred race of the meet. Sunday’s action includes a mixed maiden race, several good allowance events, and the second running of the Dash for Speed Stakes for fillies and mares.
Read MoreAfter two days and 28 trial heats, the field for the first leg of the Quarter Horse Triple Crown is set. Five more horses rounded out the field for the Ruidoso Futurity on a sunny afternoon at Ruidoso Downs Race Track with Jettz leading the way with the fastest time of the day at:17.818.
Read MoreQuarter Horse racing returned to Ruidoso Downs today with 14 trials for 2-year-olds vying for a spot in the Grade 1 $1,000,000 Ruidoso Futurity. The top five times of the day secured a spot in the finals with the remaining five spots going to the five fastest times in day two of the trials tomorrow. The fastest time of the day was clocked by Elmer who ran a speedy 17.799 against a slight headwind. The colt, trained by Jose Efren Meraz and ridden by Federico Martinez, is owned by La Feliz Montana Ranch, LLC.
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