All American crucial race for Mm Fourinthemorning and his owners

Mark and Annette McCloy were part of the All American Futurity scene back in 2011, when they owned a small stake in fourth-place finisher Lotta Love for Robyn.

The couple is back for the Quarter Horse classic on Monday, and the stakes are much higher as their homebred Mm Fourinthemorning will start as one of the favorites in the $3 million race run each Labor Day at Ruidoso Downs.

“If he wins this All American, he could be 2-year-old of the year, and his dam could be broodmare of the year,” Mark McCloy said Friday. “It just means a bunch.”

Mm Fourinthemorning has spent the past six weeks atop the 2-year-old poll put out by the American Quarter Horse Association on the strength of his July 22 win in the $1 million Rainbow Futurity at Ruidoso. His three-quarter-length win gave the McCloys their first victory in a Grade 1.

“The hardest part of these things is getting in the finale,” Mark McCloy said. “You’ve got to go through so many trials, so many variables like the weather. You’re really relieved to get into the finals. Once he got in [the Rainbow], when he got halfway down through there, he was right with them, and I thought, ‘He’s really got a good chance.’ Then he just took off. He was leaving them at the wire. It was thrilling.”

Mm Fourinthemorning – named because he was born close to 4 a.m., said McCloy – came back in his next start and won his trial for the All American Futurity by 2 1/4 lengths Aug. 18 at Ruidoso. He covered 440 yards on a fast track in 21.64 seconds, the second-fastest time during Day 2 of trials for the All American. In all, there were 32 trials to determine the 10 starters Monday.

Mm Fourinthemorning will break from post 10 – like he did in the Rainbow – under regular rider Ricky Ramirez. McCloy feels Monday’s classic distance suits the horse, whose largest margin of victory came in the All American trials, his first start at 440 yards.

“I wish it was 500 the way he’s finished his races,” quipped McCloy.

Blane Wood trains Mm Fourinthemorning, one of three starters he has in the All American. He also will send out Apocalyptical Jess, the fastest qualifier on Day 1 with a 3 1/4-length trial win in 21.34 seconds, and Badhabit Jess, who won the last trial on Day 2. The three horses are all from the Mr Jess Perry sire line, with the New Mexico-bred Mm Fourinthemorning a son of Mr Jess Perry. Mm Fourinthemorning is out of the McCloys’ mare Easeful Dinastia.

“He’s produced a lot of runners, and [that line] seems to cross well with her,” said McCloy.

Others making up the field include Pilot Points Moon, the fastest qualifier on Day 2 when he won his trial by 1 1/2 lengths in 21.52 seconds; Lynnder 16, the winner of the Remington Park Oklahoma-bred Futurity in April; and Wokatee On Fire, who was a $50,000 supplement to the trials.

The All American anchors a card of five stakes that includes the $200,000 All American Juvenile for Quarter Horses. The 11-race program is the richest card of racing in New Mexico.

In other races on the card:

◗ The undefeated 2-year-old Hustle Up will attempt to improve his record to 6 for 6 when he starts in the $110,094 Rio Grande Senor Thoroughbred Futurity. He was a nine-length trial winner Aug. 11. Tracy Hebert, who has been aboard for each of his starts, has the mount for trainer Todd Fincher.

◗ Grade 3 winner Suddenbreakingnews meets the mare K P Wildcat in the $30,000 Billy the Kid Handicap, while multiple stakes winner Galactic Princess starts in the $30,000 Governor’s Handicap.

◗ Ruidoso will pay special tribute to the late jockey Jacky Martin on Monday. The activities include a display of a wax bust of Martin that will become a life-size bronze of the rider for reveal next summer. The artist is Lisa Perry. Martin won a record seven runnings of the All American Futurity.