Kiss My Hocks odds-on choice in Rainbow Futurity

Kiss My Hocks vaulted to the top of the nation’s 2-year-old Quarter Horse division by winning races such as the $700,000 Ruidoso Futurity on June 8 and setting the fastest qualifying time for Sunday’s $900,000 Rainbow Futurity in time trials July 3.

When Kiss My Hocks won his trial by 3 1/2 lengths, jockey Cody Joiner said he thought the hard work was done – to an extent. The key was getting into the Rainbow final.

“In the trials, you have to beat the wind, elements, and time of day,” Joiner said. “In the final, you only have to outrun nine other horses. He’s a pretty nice colt. I got him to extend himself a little bit in the trials.”

Kiss My Hocks will be a heavy favorite to stretch his winning streak to six races in the Rainbow Futurity over 400 yards. The race is the middle leg of Ruidoso’s three major futurities, a series that concludes with the All American Futurity on Labor Day.

To win, Kiss My Hocks must duplicate his effort in the trials, when he was timed in 19.48 seconds. Owned by Conda Maze and Tyler Graham and trained by Toby Keeton, Kiss My Hocks won the Sam Houston Futurity in Texas in April before being sent to Ruidoso for the summer.

Rainbow Futurity (Race 10)

KEY CONTENDERS

KISS MY HOCKS

◗ Joiner said Kiss My Hocks was within himself when he won the Ruidoso Futurity over 350 yards by a half-length over Rainbow Futurity finalist Jm Miracle.

“I didn’t have to ask him too much in the Ruidoso Futurity,” Joiner said. “I was able to dictate the race after he broke so well. He’s still not serious about running.”

JM MIRACLE

◗ Trained by Umberto Belloc, Jm Miracle won a division of the Rainbow trials on July 4 in 19.70 seconds, the fourth-fastest of five qualifying spots on the second of two days of trials.

BOI GEORGE

◗ A gelding, Boi George won the West Texas Futurity at Sunland Park in April. He failed to qualify for the Ruidoso Futurity and qualified for the Rainbow with a nose loss in the July 3 trials despite a troubled start.

WILD SIXES CARTEL

◗ Second in the Kindergarten Futurity at Los Alamitos on May 19, Wild Sixes Cartel won a time trial for the Rainbow on July 3 by a nose in 19.66 seconds. Trained by Paul Jones, Wild Sixes Cartel is out of Wild Six, the winner of the 2007 Rainbow Futurity.