Ruidoso Downs opens with competitive trials for Ruidoso Futurity
When the stakes-winning filly Dark Nme walks into the starting gate for the 16th and final race at Ruidoso Downs on Friday, the first day of time trials for the Ruidoso Futurity will be six hours old.
The mood will be tense. Only the five fastest finishers through the day will qualify for the $1 million final at 350 yards on June 11.
Dark Nme (pronounced enemy) must finish with a rapid time under jockey Francisco Calderon. Wind, weather, and track condition can affect final times at Ruidoso Downs, situated in the southern New Mexico mountains.
Last year, for example, the five qualifiers from the first day of trials for the Ruidoso Futurity had times ranging from 17.97 to 17.90 seconds, while the second day qualifiers had times ranging from 17.84 to 18.10.
Despite the tough odds to qualify, there is no shortage of entrants. A record 315 horses are entered in trials Friday and Saturday.
Friday is opening day of the track’s spring-summer meeting, which runs through Labor Day, Sept. 4. The highlight of the season is the $3 million All American Futurity on Sept. 4. The Ruidoso Futurity is the first of the track’s three seven-figure futurities, followed by the Rainbow Futurity at 400 yards on July 16.
Owned by Willie and Nancy Garcia and trained by Santos Carrizales, Jr., Dark Nme is unbeaten in two starts, having won the $804,150 Remington Park Oklahoma-Bred Futurity on April 22 as well as her trial for the race. Dark Nme is one of two six-figure futurity winners in the two days of trials, which are dominated by first-time starters.
The most accomplished starter in Saturday’s 16 trials is Kj Little Duce Coup, a gelding who won the $282,926 West Texas Futurity at Sunland Park on April 1 to remain unbeaten after two starts.
Kj Little Duce Coup, trained by Wes Giles, starts in Saturday’s second trial. Lets Leave, second in the West Texas Futurity, starts in Saturday’s ninth trial.
Of the first-time starters, none will be more heavily scrutinized than the gelding Goodtyme. Last September, Goodtyme was bought for $400,000, the most expensive horse at the Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale. Trained by Chris O’Dell for West Texas Racing Partners, Goodtyme starts in Friday’s fourth race.
Sunday’s 10-race card consists entirely of trials for the Ruidoso Derby, which will have a 400-yard final on June 10. Cyber Attack, the champion 2-year-old colt of 2022, starts in the seventh race against Otts Boy, the winner of the 2022 Ruidoso Futurity.
Hes Judgeandjury, the winner of the All American Futurity last September, isn’t entered in the Ruidoso Derby trials. He is being pointed for the Rainbow Derby trials on July 2, trainer Heath Taylor said on Wednesday.
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