Hotstepper turns tables on Fly Baby Fly

Hotstepper, third behind Fly Baby Fly in the 2017 All American Futurity, won the first major stakes of his career in Sunday’s $1,237,604 All American Derby for Quarter Horses at Ruidoso Downs, finishing a neck in front of Fly Baby Fly.

Hotstepper ($11.40) ran 440 yards in 21.27 seconds on a wet-fast track. The gelding was ridden by Cody Jensen, who won his second major stakes of the day. An hour earlier, Jensen won the $200,000 All American Gold Cup at 440 yards on the multiple stakes winner Bodacious Eagle.

Hotstepper, trained by Sleepy Gilbreath, broke from post 2 in a field of nine and had a clean trip, leading by a half-length midway through the race. Fly Baby Fly finished a neck in front of Papaws Print.

Pyc Fun N Fancy, the 7-2 favorite, broke awkwardly and was never a factor, finishing last.

Hotstepper, by One Famous Eagle, has won 5 of 13 starts and earned $1,086,656. Sunday’s win was worth $520,235 for owners R.D. Hubbard, Johnny Cope, Henry Southway, and Rafter W Stables.

Hubbard is the former owner of Ruidoso Downs and has remained involved at the New Mexico track with a stable of runners. In recent days, Hubbard has been active at the track’s annual Quarter Horse yearling sale.

Bodacious Eagle, owned by Johnny Trotter and trained by Mike Joiner, ran 440 yards in 21.41 seconds to win the Gold Cup by three-quarters of a length over 16-1 Rock About It. A 6-year-old, Bodacious Eagle ($13.80) has won 12 of 30 starts and earned $968,036.

Political Attraction, the 7-5 favorite who won the Rainbow Derby in July, finished fourth, beaten slightly more than a length, and was vanned off. No further information was immediately available on his condition.

Political Attraction was not nominated for the All American Derby.

Later on the program, African Heat remained unbeaten after two starts with a front-running win in the $135,378 Rio Grande Senorita Futurity for 2-year-old New Mexico-bred fillies. African Heat ($8) won by two lengths over 9-1 Roll On Matilda.

Ridden by Alfredo Juarez Jr., African Heat ran 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:03.43. Owned by Judy and Kirk Robison and trained by Henry Dominguez, African Heat, by Southwestern Heat, won her debut in a trial for the Rio Grande Senorita Futurity on Aug. 11.

The race drew a field of 10. Lesstalkmoreaction, the even-money favorite, finished fourth after racing wide on the turn.