A total of 179 2-year-olds have been entered in Thursday’s Rainbow Futurity (G1) trials at Ruidoso Downs.

Post time for the first of the 18 400-yard trials is 12 p.m. (MDT). The top 10 qualifiers will meet in the $625,000 Rainbow Futurity final on July 25.

American Runaway, a gelding by champion Ocean Runaway racing for Sammy Martinez, Johnny Martinez, and Bobby D. Cox, drew post 9 and is the even-money morning-line favorite in the sixth heat. American Runaway is coming off of a 1 ¼-length victory in the June 13, $500,000 Ruidoso Futurity (G1), and therefore is the only horse still eligible for the All American Triple Crown, which pays a cash bonus to the connections of a horse who can sweep the Ruidoso, Rainbow, and All American (G1) futurities.

Other prominent 2-year-olds entered include Wootan Racing and Reed Land & Cattle Co.’s Llano Teller, a bay gelding by champion Teller Cartel who drew post 8 in the fourth trial. Llano Teller campaigned at Remington Park last spring, where he won the 330-yard, $596,041 Remington Park Futurity (G1) on April 17 and ran third in the 350-yard, $1-million Heritage Place Futurity (G1) on May 29.

Three-year-olds will take the spotlight at Ruidoso Downs on Friday, as 47 sophomores are entered in five 440-yard Rainbow Derby (G1) trials. The final is scheduled for July 24.

Debra Gotovac’s Swingin Daddyo is the 5-2 morning-line choice in the first heat. An earner of $260,380 from 18 starts, the sorrel Oklahoma-bred gelding by Agouti most recently ran second, a neck behind winner Double Down Special, in the 400-yard, $569,143 Ruidoso Derby (G1) on June 12.

Streakin Down, a bay Streakin Sixes gelding racing for Ed Melzer, will break from post 6 in the third heat. Streakin Down is coming off of a one-length victory in the May 29, $291,180 Heritage Place Derby (G1), and he ran second, a nose behind Ragazzo, in last year’s Heritage Place Futurity.

One of the sport’s richest and most prestigious races for 3-year-olds, the Rainbow Derby has been run every year since 1965. This year’s $873,441 purse is a stakes record, topping the previous record of $567,167 set in ’82.