Apocalyptical Jess, Flying Cowboy 123 meet in Ruidoso Derby

The 2018 Quarter Horse divisional champions Apocalyptical Jess and Flying Cowboy 123 meet for the first time since November in Saturday’s $958,766 Ruidoso Derby, giving trainer Trey Wood a potent duo in the first leg of the track’s three-race series for 3-year-olds.

Apocalyptical Jess, the champion 2-year-old gelding of 2018, set the fastest qualifying time of 19.74 seconds in 400-yard time trials on May 26 with a two-length victory over CD Rowdy James, who also earned a berth in the final.

The 10 fastest runners from the trials, regardless of finishing position, qualified for the final.

Flying Cowboy 123, the champion 2-year-old colt of 2018, won a division of the trials by 2 1/4 lengths in 19.90 seconds and was the only runner in that field to gain a spot for the final.

Quarter Horse racing has age-group champions for colts, fillies and geldings. Flash and Roll, the champion 2-year-old filly of 2018 and the overall 2-year-old champion, won a division of the Ruidoso Derby time trials, but did not have a time fast enough to qualify for the final.

Apocalyptical Jess is best known for winning the $3 million All American Futurity at Ruidoso Downs last September for owner Bill Robbins.

The Ruidoso Derby time trials was the third win of the year in as many starts for Apocalyptical Jess, who won a time trial and the final of the $320,000 Remington Park Oklahoma-Bred Derby on April 20.

Apocalyptical Jess has won six of his last seven starts, with the only blemish a sixth-place finish after a slow start in the $1,014,657 Texas Classic Futurity at Lone Star Park last November, a race won by Flying Cowboy 123.

Owned by Paragon Farms, Flying Cowboy 123 had his 2019 debut in the Ruidoso Derby trials. Aside from the Texas Classic Futurity, Flying Cowboy 123 finished third in the $977,500 Rainbow Futurity at Ruidoso Downs last July, and was awarded second-place earnings after original runner-up Lethal Lil was later disqualified for a medication violation.

Jockey Ricky Ramirez rode Apocalyptical Jess and Flying Cowboy 123 in the Ruidoso Derby time trials and will ride Flying Cowboy 123 in the final. Tanner Thedford will ride Apocalyptical Jess for the first time on Saturday.

The Wood-trained runners figure to dominate the betting. Pilots Point Moon, who was sixth in the All American Futurity and second to CDS Wine N Dine in the Ruidoso Derby trials after a poor start, drew the outside post and merits attention.