Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Richard K. McGehee's Junior June Bug drew the rail post for Saturday's 350-yard, $296,433 Mountain Top Quarter Horse Futurity (R) at Ruidoso Downs.
A sorrel colt by Jesse James Jr trained by Jackie Riddle, Junior June Bug has earned $50,065 from three starts, and his stakes record includes a second-place finish to PJ Chick In Black in the April 8, $251,359 New Mexican Spring Futurity (RG2) at Sunland Park. PJ Chick In Black subsequently scored a neck victory against open company in last Saturday's $600,000 Ruidoso Futurity (G1), and the filly is currently ranked number one on the AQHA Racing-Horseplayernow.com national 2-year-old poll.
Fastest qualifier Brookstones Chick broke her maiden with a 1 ½ length victory at odds of 19-1 in the sixth of eight trials on June 1. The sorrel daughter of Brookstone Bay races for Don and Lane Reynolds from the barn of Fred Danley, and she drew post 8 for the final.
Sergio Enriquez's Gotcha By The Jewels, the second-fastest qualifier, is coming off of a head win as the 2-1 choice in the fifth heat. The brown Jesse James Jr colt, who is trained by Alonso Orozco, has won two of three races, and he was a finalist in the New Mexican Spring Futurity.
The Mountain Top Futurity is one of two futurities for New Mexico-bred 2-year-olds at Ruidoso Downs. The other state-bred futurity, the 400-yard Zia Futurity (RG2), is scheduled for July 29
The complete lineup for the Mountain Top, in post position order including jockey assignments – Junior June Bug (Carlos Madeira), Justified By Chicks (Vicente Grajeda), River Suspect (Roy Baldillez), Ping Pong Patty (Salvador Martinez), Gotcha By The Jewels (Esgar Ramirez), Averyspecialsouthern (Oscar Rincon), Jessiana (Saul Ramirez Jr.), Brookstones Chick (Bonifacio Perez), Ms James (Jesse Levario), and Chrome Heart (Tanner Thedford).