Lethal Avenger brings quickest trial time into Ruidoso Derby

Lethal Avenger ran the most impressive race of his career when he won a division of the Ruidoso Derby trials by an eye-catching three lengths on May 29 at Ruidoso Downs.

It was an ideal comeback from a layoff of more than three months for the two-time stakes winner. Now, Lethal Avenger will need to be even better to win Saturday’s $850,000 Ruidoso Derby at 400 yards.

In the trials, Lethal Avenger set the fastest qualifying time of 19.94 seconds for 400 yards, and was the lone horse in 10 trials to break the 20-second mark. By comparison, KJ Desparado, the winner of the $3 million All American Futurity last September, was the second-fastest qualifier, winning by an equally impressive two lengths in 20.02 seconds.

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Those two will dominate the betting on Saturday, with KJ Desparado expected to be favored from post 3. Lethal Avenger starts from post 9 in a field of 10. A berth toward the outside of the field is fine with trainer Fred Danley.

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“I’d rather be out of there and get out of trouble leaving the gate,” Danley said earlier this week.

Noe Garcia, Jr., rides Lethal Avenger.

The trial race was Lethal Avenger’s first start since a win by 1 1/4 lengths in the $172,000 West Texas Derby at 400 yards at Sunland Park on Feb. 5. At the time, co-owner Doug May said the goal was to rest Lethal Avenger until the start of the Ruidoso Downs meeting, which began on May 27.

May, of Fort Stockton, Texas, co-owns Lethal Avenger with his 91-year-old mother, Sue, and Lefty and Laine Reynolds of Big Spring, Texas.

Lethal Avenger, a gelding by Volcom, has won 6 of 10 starts and earned $259,817. The Ruidoso Derby trial was Lethal Avenger’s fifth consecutive win, a streak that includes the $252,162 La Fiesta Futurity at The Downs at Albuquerque last September.

Lethal Avenger was good enough to qualify for the $1 million Rainbow Futurity last July, but was only eighth of 10. It does not surprise Danley that Lethal Avenger has improved with age.

“He needed to mature,” Danley said. “He was a big [gelding] and was soft and fat.”

KJ Desparado has won 7 of 11 starts and earned $2,109,761. After the win in the All American, KJ Desparado won the Texas Classic Futurity at Lone Star Park on Nov. 27, but was later found to have a medication positive from a time trial for that race on Nov. 6. The legal side of that case has not been completed.

KJ Desparado had his first start since the Texas Classic Futurity in the Ruidoso Derby trials for trainer Wes Giles.