Love Samba fastest All American qualifier

By Mary Rampellini

Love Samba emerged as the fastest qualifier for next month's Grade 1, $2 million All-American Futurity for Quarter Horses on Thursday, when she won her 440-yard trial for the race in 21.20 seconds. She won by a length over Swingin Daddyo (21.35), who also made the Sept. 7 finale. The horses ran in the 19th of 20 trial races held for the All-American, all over a fast track at Ruidoso Downs. In all, 191 horses competed for the 10 spots in the finals.

Love Samba twice has been the fastest qualifier for a major futurity this meet. She also set the fastest time for the Grade 1, $625,000 Rainbow. In the finale, however, Love Samba sat down in the gate prior to the start of the race, which was delayed. She finished fourth. Things went better on Thursday, when she broke well and went on to a clear win under jockey Ricky Ramirez.

Blane Wood trains Love Samba for Jim Pitts. The filly was one of three qualifiers Wood had for the All-American. The others were third-fastest qualifier First Corona Call (21.25) and eighth-fastest qualifier Gols Victory Pop (21.39).

The second-fastest qualifier for the All-American was Rainbow Futurity runner-up Runnning Brook Gal, who won the ninth race by 1 3/4 lengths in 21.21 seconds. She was one of three qualifiers for trainer Paul Jones, who won seven races on the card. His others to make the finale were Favorite Cartel (21.30) and Brooks Midnight (21.41).

The other qualifiers were Shesa First Ratify (21.33), Winners Cartel (21.33) and Jess So Sixy (21.40).