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Trials Set for Record Smashing Ruidoso Derby
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Six Stakes-Class Trials Set For
Record Smashing Ruidoso Derby
RUIDOSO DOWNS, New Mexico (May 26, 2010) – A meeting between All American Futurity runner-up Shesa First Ratify and Rainbow Futurity winner Zoomin With Ease in the fifth race tops the six 400-yard trials to the record-smashing Grade 1, $538,965 Ruidoso Derby on Saturday at Ruidoso Downs.
The previous record purse for the Ruidoso Derby was $388,830 set in the 2007 running won by champion Heartswideopen.
The sophomores with the 10-fastest times from the 400-yard trials qualify to race for the record purse in the Ruidoso Derby on June 12.
The Ruidoso Derby begins a summer of sensational derby purses at Ruidoso Downs. The Grade 1 Rainbow Derby purse could reach $800,000 and the Grade 1 All American Derby purse is projected at $1,500,000. The Ruidoso, Rainbow and All American derbies should be three of the four richest quarter horse derbies contested in 2010 with the All American Derby holding the top position.
Saturday’s first post time at Ruidoso Downs is 1 p.m. and the Ruidoso Derby trials run as the first six races on the 10-race program. Racing continues on Sunday afternoon with the Norgor Derby and Monday afternoon with the Fine Loom Handicap.
Here is a trial-by-trial rundown of the six trials to the Ruidoso Derby.
In the first trial, CD Frontier Justice looks to qualify for his first stakes race after showing promise throughout his 3-race career. Freda Draper’s gelding comes off a world-record-setting allowance win at Sunland Park when he raced 330 yards in :15.999 to win by more than one length.
In the second trial, Sir Seth makes his 2010 debut after winning four of five starts last year. The well-conformed colt’s only setback was a third-place finish in the Grade 1, $500,000 Ruidoso Futurity. The Blane Wood trainee then won his Rainbow Futurity and All American Futurity trials.
In the third trial, All American Futurity qualifiers Love Samba, Swingin Daddyo and Brooks Midnight meet. The Wood-trained Love Samba finished fourth in the Grade 1, $625,000 Rainbow Futurity and then fifth in the Grade 1, $2,000,000 All American Futurity as the 19-10 favorite. Debra Gotovac’s Swingin Daddyo qualified for three futurities last year with a sixth-place run in the All American Futurity. Chad Richard’s Brooks Midnight was the sixth-place finisher in the Rainbow Futurity and was scratched from the All American Futurity.
In the fourth trial, champion First Klas Fred tries to take a step towards completing the Ruidoso futurity-derby double. The Mike Joiner-trained gelding was an upset winner of the 2009 Ruidoso Futurity and then took the Grade 2, $302,000 Hobbs America Futurity. He makes his first start since a third-place finish in the Grade 1, $305,000 Southwest Juvenile Championship on November 29 at Zia Park.
In the fifth trial, Shesa First Ratify and Zoomin With Ease start next to each other from the two outside post positions. Sandy Erwin’s Shesa First Ratify ran her career-best performance when she was second in the All American Futurity behind champion Runnning Brook Gal. Bobby Cox’s Zoomin With Ease surprised at 12-1 odds when he defeated Runnning Brook Gal in the Rainbow Futurity.
In the sixth trial, EBW Obsession looks to remain undefeated at Ruidoso Downs. Ernie and Brenda Wood’s filly won each of her four 2009 starts, all at Ruidoso Downs, including the John Deere New Mexico Juvenile Challenge. The filly then won her All American Futurity trial by more than one length, but did not qualify for quarter horse racing’s richest event.
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For more information, please contact twyant@RaceRuidoso.com .
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