Mighty Invictus fastest in All American trials

Mighty Invictus set the fastest qualifying time for the $2,050,000 All American Futurity for Quarter Horses at Ruidoso Downs on Thursday, zipping 440 yards in 21.417 seconds. Mighty Invictus won the 18th of 21 time trials.

The 10 fastest finishing times from the 206 starters in the trials advance to the finals on Labor Day, Sept. 6.

The trials took 8 1/2 hours to complete. The winner of the first division, Lasting Episode (21.445 seconds) held the fastest qualifying time until Separate Secrets ran 21.426 seconds in the 13th race. That time was the fastest until Mighty Invictus scored in the 18th.

The other qualifiers are DM Shicago, Take Off Jess, Oja Loca, Have a Coronary, Jess Satin, Corona Ease, and Devons Signature.

The qualifiers earned berths from seven divisions. The most productive trial was the first race, which produced three finalists - Lasting Episode, Take Off Jess and Oja Loca.

Mighty Invictus, a winner of two of six starts, finished a neck in front of DM Shicago in the 18th race. Fourth in the Remington Park Futurity in April, Mighty Invictus is owned by the You and Me partnership and trained by Jack Brooks, who has won a record eight All American futurities. Brooks also trains Take Off Jess.