Eagle Jazz remains atop division with Rainbow Futurity score

Eagle Jazz solidified his status as the top-ranked 2-year-old Quarter Horse in the nation on Sunday, when he won his second Grade 1 race of the Ruidoso Downs meet in the $1 million Rainbow Futurity. He finished three-quarters of a length clear of Uptown Dynasty, the horse he dead-heated with when winning last month’s Grade 1 Ruidoso Futurity.

The final major offering for 2-year-olds this meet is the Grade 1, $3 million All American Futurity on Sept. 4. Trials for the race will be held Aug. 18-19.

Eagle Jazz ($3.40) was always prominent in the Rainbow, dueling early with Uptown Dynasty and going on to cover 400 yards on a fast track in 19.82 seconds. Rodrigo Vallejo was aboard for trainer Judd Kearl, the same team that won the Grade 1, $1.1 million Rainbow Derby with Hold Air Hostage on Saturday at Ruidoso.

Eagle Jazz was the fastest qualifier on the first day of trials for the Rainbow, winning his trial by 3 1/4 lengths. For his win in the finale, Eagle Jazz earned $420,000 for his breeder and owner, Juan A. Medina. Eagle Jazz is a son of One Dashing Eagle.

Eagle Jazz, who was winning his fourth straight race in the Rainbow, was ranked as the leading 2-year-old in the country in a poll put out last week by the American Quarter Horse Association.