Juan Ochoa rode Blue Memo to a come-from-behind victory in Sunday’s 6-furlong, $40,000 Norgor Derby, the first stakes race of Ruidoso Downs’ summer meet.

Trained by Weston Martin for owners Brad and Kim Bingham and Ken and Nancy Blewet, Blue Memo stopped the timer in 1:12.13 after closing on fractions of :23.05 and :46.04 set by pacesetter D G Wimbledon. The gelding’s margin of victory was a nose from Train Rider Blues.

Blue Memo was bred in California by R. Gregg Anderson, and the one-time $10,000 claimer is one of 221 winners from 310 starters sired by Memo (CHI), a 23-year-old son of Mocito Guapo (ARG) who was the Chilean champion 2-year-old colt in 1989 and champion sophomore colt the following year. A two-time Grade 2 winner in the U.S. in 1993 and ’94, Memo has sired 13 crops and the earners of more than $17.1 million, including Grey Memo, the winner of the Godolphin Mile Stakes (Gr. 2) at Nad al Sheba Racecourse in Dubai. The stallion currently stands in Chile.

Blue Memo is also one of 11 winners from as many starters foaled by Distinctively Blue, a 21-year-old daughter of the Never Bend stallion Distinctive. Distinctively Blue has produced two stakes-placed runners, both of whom are half siblings to Blue Memo – Juicey, a filly by Notebook who ran second in the 1997 Fanfreluche Stakes (R) at Woodbine Racecourse near Toronto, and Blue Afleet, a colt by Northern Afleet who ran third in the 2004 California Turf Championship (R) for state-breds at Bay Meadows.

Blue Memo traces back to his fourth dam, Beaufront (GB), a daughter of the Nearco (ITY) stallion Mossborough (GB) who won two stakes in England in 1964.

Racing exclusively in New Mexico, Blue Memo has won three of six races, and the $24,000 winner’s share of the Norgor Derby purse boosted his bankroll to $48,895. The gelding was three weeks removed from a 3 ¾-length victory in a 4 ½-furlong allowance sprint at SunRay Park in Farmington, New Mexico.

Pacesetter D G Wimbledon ran third and was followed by 17-10 favorite Rig’s Runner, Cross Chris Run, and Valeriano.

Runner-up Train Rider Blues earned $8,800 for his owners, Freda McSwane and Joe Walters. A $5,000 buy at the 2008 New Mexico-Bred Yearling Sale at Ruidoso Downs, the Desert God colt has banked $214,663, and his three wins in 13 outs include last year’s 5-furlong, $159,556 Ruidoso Horse Sale Futurity (R) and 5 ½-furlong, $109,026 Rio Grande Senor Futurity (R).

D G Wimbledon, a Texas-bred colt by Wimbledon, earned $4,000 to push his bankroll to $17,900 for owner Janice M. Gardner. A one-time $10,000 claimer, D G Wimbledon broke his maiden going 5 ½ furlongs in his career debut at The Downs at Albuquerque last October.