Futurity, derby doubleheader

Saint Shackleton, dead-heat winner of the Grade 1 Ruidoso Futurity, is the class of the $236,672 Hobbs America Futurity, and One Special Shade continues his comeback in the $119,758 Hobbs America Derby on Sunday afternoon at Zia Park.

Saint Shackleton caught Okey Dokey Fantasy in the final stride to share the win in the $500,000 Ruidoso Futurity. Since that June 11 race, he has finished second in three futurity trials. He bumped with Jess Kicken in their Hobbs America Futurity trial, and they finished second and third, respectively, and each qualified for the futurity.

Run Perry Run won his 400-yard trial in 19.789 seconds to set the fastest qualifying time. The gelding was third behind Saint Shackleton in the Grade 1 Ruidoso Futurity.

In the Hobbs America Derby, One Special Shade will continue his comeback from a nine-month layoff. In his return to racing, he set the fastest qualifying time to the derby on Oct. 1 with a 21.801-second time for 440 yards. Before being sidelined he won the Grade 2 Sunland Fall Futurity, the Grade 3 Ford New Mexico Juvenile Challenge, and was second by a nose in the Grade 1 Dash for Cash Futurity.

Boknaai was second by a short nose behind One Special Shade in their trial. Boknaai has qualified for five graded futurities or derbies in his 22-race career.