Hezgothelook Z was the fastest qualifier to Sunday’s $1 million Ruidoso Futurity at Ruidoso Downs after winning a 350-yard time trial by an eye-opening 5 1/2 lengths in 17.49 seconds on May 24. The gelding was not as dominant in the final, but was quicker when it counted the most. Ridden by Bryan Candanosa, Hezgothelook Z ($5) took control of the futurity shortly after the start and won by three-quarters of a length over 8-1 Rapid Aguila. Hezgothelook Z, sent off favored, was timed in 17.42 seconds. The first two finishers are trained by Toby Keeton, the nation’s leading Quarter Horse trainer by wins. Brink Man V (8-1) finished third in the field of 10. :: Subscribe to the DRF Post Time Email Newsletter: Get the news you need to play today's races!  At the start, Hezgothelook Z broke toward the inside from post 3, but recovered rapidly. He led by a length midway through the race. Owned by Triple One Ranch, Hezgothelook Z has won 2 of 3 starts. He began his career with a fifth-place finish in the Sam Houston Juvenile Challenge trials at Sam Houston Race Park on April 19. Hezgothelook Z has earned $426,300. Sunday’s win was worth $420,000. Keeton has won two of the last three runnings of the Ruidoso Futurity, having won the race in 2022 with Otts Boy. The Ruidoso Futurity is the first of three seven-figure futurities at the Southern New Mexico track’s spring-summer meeting. The series continues with the $1 Rainbow Futurity at 400 yards on July 14, which has time trials on June 28-29; and the $3 million All American Futurity at 440 yards on Sept. 2, which has time trials on Aug. 9-10. Space Cowwboyy soars to win In Sunday’s $100,000 Ruidoso Juvenile, the consolation to the futurity, Space Cowwboyy won for the first time in his sixth start, avoiding the slight trouble that plagued the second- and third-place finishers, Lethal Cowboy 123 and Daou. Ridden by Luis Martinez, Space Cowwboyy ($14.60) ran 350 yards in 17.68 seconds, finishing a half-length in front of 5-2 Lethal Cowboy, who drifted in at the start from the inside post. Daou (7-1) also drifted to the inside in the first few strides from post 2. Space Cowwboyy was second in a division of the Ruidoso Futurity trials on May 24 in his first start for trainer Juventino Ruiz. A gelding by Corona Cartel, Space Cowwboyy was fifth in the $50,000 West Texas Juvenile at Sunland Park in April, the consolation to the $311,951 West Texas Futurity. Owned by Scott Branson and Jimmy Vazquez, Space Cowwboyy has earned $55,939. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.