Rainbow winner Dark Nme fastest qualifier to All American Futurity

Dark Nme, the unbeaten filly who won major futurities in April and July, will be favored to win Quarter Horse racing’s richest race in the $3 million All American Futurity at Ruidoso Downs on Sept. 4 after a romping trial race win on Friday.

Dark Nme, trained by Santos Carrizales, Jr., ran 440 yards in 21.10 seconds in the 10th of 16 trials on Friday to establish the fastest qualifying time of the day and for two days of trials. The five runners with the quickest times on Friday and Saturday advanced to the final.

Dark Nme will have no more than eight rivals. Sandstone Mountain, a trial race winner on Friday, died in the stables a few hours after his race, a track official said. A cause of death was not known as of Monday.

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Under race rules, a horse that qualifies but does not start is eligible for last-place money of $60,000 unless it fails a medication test or violates racing rules. Last year, fastest qualifier Jes an Angel was a late scratch after she was treated with a nebulizer on the morning of the race. She received no prize money because of the infraction. At the time, Jes an Angel was trained by Lance Moore.

Dark Nme, owned by Willie and Nancy Garcia of Hebbronville, Texas, has earned $775,062. She won the $804,500 Remington Park Oklahoma-Bred Futurity at 330 yards in April and the $1 million Rainbow Futurity at Ruidoso Downs at 400 yards on July 16.

The gelding Cowboys Gun Z was the fastest qualifier from Saturday’s trials, winning the ninth of 16 divisions in 21.57 seconds.

Toby Keeton, who trained Sandstone Mountain, will have three finalists – trial race winners Flyin Rabbit 123 and Dashing Tres, and Cuz Lightyear, who was second in a trial on Saturday.

Cuz Lightyear was beaten by the Carrizales-trained Trane Station V (21.64). Trane Station V was second in the Rainbow Futurity.

Delight Interest fastest All American Derby qualifier

Keeton has the fastest qualifier for the $1.19 million All American Derby at 440 yards on Sept. 3 with Delight Interest, who won a division of Sunday’s time trials in 21.27 seconds to remain unbeaten in five starts this year.

His main rival will be Sicario V, who won the Rainbow Derby on July 15 and was a trial race winner on Sunday in 21.54 seconds. Cyber Attack, the champion 2-year-old colt of 2022, finished fourth in a division of the trials, but was fast enough to gain a berth in the final.

* Jes an Angel, the champion 2-year-old filly of 2022, is a finalist for the $714,734 Rainbow Oaks at 440 yards after winning a division of Sunday’s trials in 21.60 seconds.

Now trained by Marc Jungers, Jes an Angel has the second-fastest qualifying time, slightly slower than Streaks of Power who was timed in 21.58 seconds.

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