Nine to take shot at big payday in All American Futurity

Ruidoso Downs in New Mexico on Thursday will draw post positions for the $2.6 million All American Futurity for Quarter Horses. The race is the richest offering for 2-year-olds in North America and closes out the meet Monday.

There will be 10 horses entered in the All American, but just nine will start, as qualifier Im A Fancy Pyc will be scratched after an injury following his trial, according to Ruidoso. He will receive a portion of the purse for being one of 10 qualifiers during 28 trials run Aug. 14-15.

Thunderball B set the fastest qualifying time on Day 1 of the trials, when he won his 440-yard heat in 21.33 seconds. Others making the cut on the first day were Im A Fancy Pyc, Sam Crow, Jm Miracle, and Tempting Destiny.

Exquisite Stride was the fastest qualifier on Day 2 of the trials, when he won his 440-yard heat in 21.31 seconds. Others who advanced to the finale from Day 2 were Apollitical Blood, This Fire Is Cold, Bodacious Eagle, and Mad About the Moon.

The winner of the All American will earn $1.3 million. First post for the card Monday is 1 p.m. Mountain.

Ruidoso Downs will be putting on a host of stakes over the weekend. The card Saturday is led by the Grade 1, $200,000 All American Gold Cup for Quarter Horses. The race for 3-year-olds and up offers its winner a berth into the Champion of Champions at Los Alamitos.

The program Sunday is highlighted by the Grade 1, $1.9 million All American Derby for Quarter Horses and includes the $50,000 Ruidoso Thoroughbred Derby.

• Potenzza will miss the All American Derby after sustaining a knee injury in the time trials Aug. 17, trainer Paul Jones said. The filly will be sent to Texas this week to undergo surgery. Jones said she will be bred in 2015.

Owned by breeder Jorge Haddad, Potenzza won 2 of 8 starts and earned $108,535. She was third in the Rainbow Futurity at Ruidoso Downs in July 2013.

The All American Derby is led by trial winners Big Dashing Perry, Houdini, and Kates Dynasty.

• A major three-day auction of Quarter Horse yearlings will be held after the races Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at Ruidoso. To accommodate the sale, there will be an early first post of noon Mountain on Friday and an early post of 12:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

Options for streaking Moonist

Moonist extended his winning streak to six races in Sunday’s Golden State Derby at Los Alamitos and could run in one or two more derbies this fall.

Trainer John Cooper said after Sunday’s race that he has yet to decide whether to run Moonist in the $200,000 Pacific Coast Quarter Horse Racing Association Breeders’ Derby, which has trials Sept. 13 and a final Oct. 3, or wait for the $200,000 Southern California Derby, which has trials Nov. 30 and a final Dec. 21.

Moonist won his third consecutive derby of the year in the Golden State Derby. In April, he won the El Primero Del Ano Derby for colts and geldings and followed with a win in the Governor’s Cup Derby in July. He also won time trials leading up to those races.

Owned by Ron Hartley, Moonist has won 11 of 18 starts and earned $391,098.

– with reporting by Steve Andersen