Leading Cartel tries to stay perfect in Mountain Top Quarter Horse Futurity

Leading Cartel will put a perfect set of past performances on the line Saturday when he runs in the $359,069 Mountain Top Quarter Horse Futurity at Ruidoso Downs. The 350-yard race is for 2-year-olds bred in New Mexico.

Leading Cartel has won both of his starts by breaking on top and leading at every point of call. He figures to be the favorite Saturday.

“He’s a really nice horse,” said Mike Robbins, who trains Leading Cartel for Reliance Ranches. “He’s real consistent, does everything we ask of him. He’s a good gate horse – just the whole package.”

Leading Cartel won his trial by three-quarters of a length May 29 at Ruidoso. He covered 350 yards in 17.90 seconds, the third-fastest qualifying time in the field of 10 for Saturday.

“I thought he ran an exceptional race,” Robbins said. “He ran into a pretty good headwind. I was really pleased with his performance.”

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Esgar Ramirez was aboard and has the mount again Saturday. Leading Cartel will break from post 5.

“So far, he hasn’t made any mistakes,” Robbins said of Leading Cartel. “He stands in the gate good and leaves.”

Robbins said Leading Cartel is an athletic kind of horse. Reliance Ranches purchased the son of Big Daddy Cartel last year at a yearling auction at Ruidoso Downs.

“He was bought to run in New Mexico-bred races,” said Robbins.

Heza Classy Now was the fastest qualifier for the Mountain Top. He won his May 29 trial in 17.71 seconds, scoring by 1 3/4 lengths. Paul Nieto was aboard and on Saturday has the mount from post 3 for trainer Harvey Baeza.

Jessies Allstar was the second-fastest qualifier with a time of 17.85 seconds, achieved for his neck trial win May 29. Jockey Sergio Becerra Jr. was aboard for trainer Gerald Reed and again has the mount from post 4.

Trainer Janell Sanderson qualified three horses - Hatchi Zulu, Lunas Glitteringstar and Cannelloni - but they will be scratched from the race, according to Ruidoso president Jeff True.

Sanderson had five horses test positive for prohibited substances during recent out-of-competition testing and under a Ruidoso house rule is not allowed to enter horses at the track. The entries for the Mountain Top were taken prior to her exclusion through the house rule.

True said none of the Sanderson-trained finalists for the Mountain Top tested positive during the out-of-competition testing.

Among the fillies in the field Saturday is Surfz Up. She is trained by Sergio Ibarra, who last weekend pulled a Grade 1 double with Hotsempting in the Ruidoso Derby and Cyber Monday in the Ruidoso Futurity.