Ruidoso Downs: All American Futurity trials an all-day event

Ruidoso Downs will begin Thursday’s special card of 26 trials for the Grade 1, $2.4 million All American Futurity for Quarter Horses at 9:30 a.m. Mountain, but some of the most accomplished runners on the program won’t be out until late. Real late.

One Dashing Eagle, the nation’s top ranked 2-year-old in the American Quarter Horse Association poll, will run in the final trial at 7:05 p.m. Pj Chick in Black, ranked third among all 2-year-olds, goes in race 24, and BP Cartels Alibi, fourth in the national poll, starts in race 25.

The horses are among 257 attempting to qualify for the All American, the 440-yard classic to be run on Labor Day, Sept. 3. The runners with the 10 fastest times Thursday advance to the finale, which has the richest purse available to Quarter Horses. But getting there is never easy, noted trainer Michael Joiner, whose 11 starters in the trials run over 440 yards include Carters Cookie, the nation’s second-ranked 2-year-old, who goes in race 9.

“You’ve got to have a really good horse and have a lot of luck, too,” Joiner said. “Everything has to go your way. The horse has to run his race. The weather has to play out where it doesn’t affect your time. There are just so many colts in these trials, you can’t have any bad luck.

“Hopefully, it’s an even day.”

Carters Cookie established himself as an early favorite for this year’s All American when he darted to a 1 1/4-length win in the Grade 1, $700,000 Rainbow Futurity at Ruidoso on July 22. It was his second career start following a 2 1/4-length romp in his Rainbow trial July 3, and for the effort he earned a speed index of 108.

“He ran really big last time,” said Joiner. “We were well pleased. He showed us that he was capable of competing with the Grade 1 horses.

“He’s a nice, big, strong colt who has quite a bit of talent.”

Carters Cookie will break from post 4, under regular rider G.R. Carter Jr.

Carters Cookie’s ownership group includes Mark Allen and Leonard Blach, who won the 2009 Kentucky Derby with Mine That Bird. Butch Southway is the third partner in Carters Cookie, a son of Carters Cartel who Allen purchased as a yearling out of the select sale at Ruidoso.

One Dashing Eagle invades from Los Alamitos, fresh off winning the Grade 1 Ed Burke Million Futurity on June 24. He was a 1 1/4-length winner and earned a speed index of 104. Ramon Sanchez will ride Our Dashing Eagle for the first time, for co-owner and trainer Jose De La Torre.

Pj Chick in Black, the Grade 1, $600,000 Ruidoso Futurity winner who is undefeated in four starts, and BP Cartels Alibi, winner of the Grade 1, $1 million Heritage Place Futurity at Remington Park, were each supplemented to the All American trials at a cost of $50,000. Others supplemented were SS Poker Face Dream, PYC Kant Katch Me, Just Wanna Corona, Brotherman, Rockin Disco, and Gonna Cha Cha.