Saturday, September 03, 2011
Monday's 440-yard, $2.4-million All American Futurity (G1) is just one of six stakes races this weekend at Ruidoso Downs, as the track closes out its 2011 summer race meet.
Ruidoso Downs' stakes action kicks off with the 1 1/16-mile, $40,000 Ruidoso Thoroughbred Derby, which attracted a field of eight 3-year-olds, including New Mexico-bred Attitude E Racer. A homebred Desert God gelding racing for Joe Allen and Michael Stinson, Attitude E Racer has won three of six races this season, including the $100,000 New Mexico Breeders' Derby (R) at Sunland Park on March 27, and the $85,000 Dine Stakes (R) at SunRay Park on July 5.
The 7-2 morning-line favorite in the Ruidoso Thoroughbred Derby, Bill Vanlandingham's Wally Van, won four stakes during the recently concluded Arapahoe Park meet. The gelded son of the Crafty Prospector stallion Crafty Shaw has earned $118,039 from six wins in 11 outs.
All Derby entrants will carry 122 pounds. The complete lineup, in post position order including jockey assignments and morning-line odds – Trouble Rules (Enrique Gomez), 5-1; Wally Van (Mike Ziegler), 7-2; Ultimate Question (Don Frazier), 5-1; Happy Toes (J. Martin Bourdieu), 4-1; Attitude E Racer (Casey Lambert), 6-1; Southern Heat Wave (Miguel Hernandez), 10-1; Tap For Texas (Juan Ochoa), 5-1; and Trustee Tom (Rodrigo Jaime), 6-1.
On Sunday, Ruidoso Downs will present two graded 440-yard Quarter Horse stakes, the $40,000 All American Gold Cup (G3) and the $1,316,760 All American Derby (G1). Five older sprinters are set to go in the Gold Cup, including reigning AQHA champion aged gelding Noconi.
A 6-year-old gelding by Mr Jess Perry, Noconi has banked $1,248,563 from 28 starts, and his 12 wins include 10 stakes. Noconi is coming off of a half-length victory in the 350-yard, $30,000 Higheasterjet Handicap on July 3.
The complete Gold Cup lineup, in post position order including jockey and weight assignments and morning-line odds – Plain Azoom (G.R. Carter Jr., 122), 4-1; Van Zant (Esgar Ramirez, 122), 6-1; Time For A Cigar (Cody Jensen, 124), 3-1; Corona For The Lady (Larry Payne, 123), 8-1; Noconi (Jacky Martin, 129), 4-5.
The purse for Sunday's All American Derby is the third-richest in the stakes' 38-year history, and fastest qualifier and morning-line favorite Cold Cash 123 will be attempting to run his win streak to four. A homebred gelding by 2003 AQHA world champion Oak Tree Special racing for T Bill Stables Inc., Cold Cash 123 has won all six of his 440-yard outs, including the $899,524 Rainbow Derby (G1) on July 23.
All Derby qualifiers will tote 122 pounds. The complete lineup, in post position order including jockey assignments and morning-line odds – Flyin Fish (Cody Jensen), 15-1; Cold Cash 123 (Roy Baldillez), 5-2; Prospect To The Top (Jacky Martin), 4-1; The Printing Press (Jimmy Brooks), 20-1; Llano Teller (Ramon Sanchez), 8-1; JLS Mr Bigtime (Jarrod Deschamp), 5-1; DM Streakn Thru Fire (G.R. Carter Jr.), 9-2; Motorcity Madman (Alejandro Medellin), 20-1; One Sweet Jess (Rodrigo Aceves), 6-1; and Teller No Lies (Ricky Ramirez), 10-1.
Sunday's stakes tripleheader kicks off with the 440-yard, $75,000 All American Juvenile Invitational Stakes (R). Back In The Pack, a filly by Corona For Me racing for Reliance Ranches LLC and Debra M. Gotovac, has earned $100,534 from three wins in six outs, and her stakes resume includes a second-place finish to Silver For Me in the 350-yard, $500,000 Ruidoso Futurity (G1) on June 12.
All horses will carry 120 pounds. The complete lineup, in post position order including jockey assignments) – Uno Dos Tres B (G.R. Carter Jr.), TMF Cash Dynasty (Abdel Torres), DM Cruzin (Roy Baldillez), Corona Easy Jet (Agustin Silva), Moon Dynasty (Jaime Leos), Kash For Cartel (Ramon Sanchez), Back In The Pack (Cody Wainscott), Bovet (Russel Hadley), Priceless Feature (Jimmy Brooks), and TF Featured Effort (Jacky Martin).
The 1 1/16-mile, $50,000 Ruidoso Thoroughbred Championship has drawn a field of seven, including Paul Bruce Thomason's Quiet Again. A 6-year-old gelding by 1998 Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Real Quiet, Quiet Again has won 13 of 39 races, including last year's Ruidoso Championship. The gelding has also won two stakes this year, the 6-furlong, $40,000 Free Spirit Handicap at Ruidoso Downs on June 4, and the 1 1/16-mile, $50,000 Curribot Stakes at Sunland Park back in February.
The complete lineup, in post position order including jockey and weight assignments – Sea Battle (Miguel Fuentes, 115), Quiet Again (Alejandro Medellin, 123), Hezamazing (Travis Wales, 120), Waco Jo (Larry Gamez, 113), Iron Fortitude (Jose Barajas, 116), Scorewithcater (Ricardo Jaime, 118), and Vamoose (Enrique Gomez, 115).
This year's All American Futurity carries a stakes- and Quarter Horse industry-record purse, with $1.2 million going to the owner of the winner. Fastest qualifier Ochoa, the morning-line favorite, will break from post 9 in the field of 10. Racing for John T.L. Jones Jr.'s J Bar 7, Monte and Katsy Cluck, and Doug and Shavon Benson, Ochoa is coming off of a half-length victory in the 14th of 26 trials on August 18, and the gelding by 2001 All American Futurity runner-up Tres Seis ran third, one length behind Silver For Me, in the Ruidoso Futurity.
Ochoa's trainer, C. Dwayne “Sleepy” Gilbreath, has won the All American Futurity twice, most recently with AQHA world champion Refrigerator in 1990.
All horses will carry 120 pounds. The complete lineup, in post position order including jockey assignments and morning-line odds – Denver Pass (Alex Baldillez), 5-1; Bills Last (Ramon Sanchez), 20-1; Big Daddy Cartel (Esgar Ramirez), 6-1; Tee Cos (Rodrigo Aceves), 6-1; Lethal Volt (Cody Jensen), 10-1; Mr Ease 123 (Roy Baldillez), 20-1; Jess Send Me (Ricky Ramirez), 8-1; Jess Cuervo (G.R. Carter), 4-1; Ochoa (Jacky Martin), 3-1; and Lotta Love For Robyn (Saul Ramirez Jr.), 8-1.