Triple Crown Report - Sat. May 27, 2023

For immediate release                            Contact:      Tim Keithley
                                                                                         575-937-4708
Sat. May 27, 2023                                                     tkeithley@raceruidoso.com

TRIPLE CROWN REPORT Presented by:

LETS LEAVE TOPS ALL QUALIFIERS DURING TRIALS FOR $1 MILLION RUIDOSO FUTURITY AT RUIDOSO DOWNS

Lets Leave, a two-year-old colt, broke sharply and pushed through a headwind to win the 9th trial race in a crushing time of 17.396 seconds for 350-yards and become top qualifier during day-two trials for the $1 million Ruidoso Futurity on Saturday.

“I rode him hard because I knew the headwind was against us for time,” jockey Sergio Becerra, Jr. said after the race. “I thought the colt really stretched out and gave us plenty of run.”

The colt raced through a 16-mile-per-hour headwind to record the fastest time of the day. The June 10th final sets up a rematch between Lets Leave and West Texas Futurity winner Kj Little Duce Coup who won the 2nd race and also qualified for the final in a time of 17.662 seconds. The two were involved in a win photo for the West Texas—with Kj Little Duce Coup winning by a neck on April 1 at Sunland Park.

“I felt that our horse really put it together today,” trainer Eric Valenzuela said. “He didn’t especially break well in the West Texas final but he did today. It promises to be a great final with several nice young horses who qualified.”

Lets Leave is owned by Barron Racing and Empire Racing. The colt is sired by Favorite Cartel out of the mare Time to Leave by Walk Thru Fire and was bred in California.

Other quarter horses that qualified for the Ruidoso Futurity Saturday include:

• Wired 440 and jockey Becerra Jr winning the 5th race in 17.678 seconds.

• Irish Seis and jockey Luis Martinez who won the 8th race in 17.734 seconds.

• Ar Victorias Legacy and jockey Rodrigo Sigala Vallejo winning the 6th race in 17.752 seconds.

On Sunday, trials will be held for the $900,000 (est) Ruidoso Derby for three-year-old quarter horses at 400-yards. There will be ten trials races with first post time at 1 p.m. For more information visit www.raceruidoso.com.