Ruidoso meet quick from the gate

Ruidoso Downs will plunge right into its 61-date meet Thursday, with the first of two cards of trials for the Grade 1, $700,000 Ruidoso Quarter Horse Futurity, jockey G.R. Carter on the verge of making history, and the riding comeback of Joe Badilla Jr. The mixed meet that builds momentum all summer long continues through Sept. 1 and concludes with the Grade 1, $2.6 million All American Futurity for Quarter Horses.

“There’s a lot of passion for that ultimate goal on Labor Day,” said Shaun Hubbard, general manager of Ruidoso. “It drives our entire year here from a business standpoint.”

The All American Futurity is the richest race on offer for Quarter Horses. It’s also the final leg in Ruidoso’s annual Triple Crown series that offers a $4 million bonus to the Quarter Horse who, along with the All American, also wins the Ruidoso Futurity on June 8 and the Grade 1, $900,000 Rainbow Futurity on July 20. There will be two dates of trials for each of the races this year, a practice started last season with the Rainbow.

The Ruidoso trials Thursday and Friday drew 225 horses led by Kiss My Hocks, the winner of the Grade 2, $563,950 Sam Houston Futurity in track-record time, and Boi George, who captured the Grade 2, $267,651 West Texas Futurity at Sunland Park.

As for Carter, he enters the meet with 3,629 wins aboard Quarter Horses and is two from tying the all-time mark of 3,631 held by the retired Alvin Brossette. Carter has 25 mounts between Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at Ruidoso.

Badilla retired in 2006 after a career that included wins in the All American Futurity and All American Derby but launched a comeback in May. He has mounts in six trial races for the Ruidoso Futurity.

Ruidoso’s stakes schedule has been expanded this meet to include a trio of $100,000 stakes for 3-year-old Quarter Horses. The track has worked to increase the purses of its major stakes for the division over the past several years, with the $2 million All American Derby on Aug. 31 the central offering in a schedule that also includes the $943,127 Ruidoso Derby on June 7 and the $1 million Rainbow Derby on July 20. The All American Gold Cup, for 3-year-olds and up at 440 yards Aug. 30, has had its purse significantly boosted to $200,000 and, along with the All American Derby, will award its winner a berth into the Grade 1, $750,000 Champion of Champions at Los Alamitos. Hubbard said the focus on offerings for 3-year-olds and up has been deliberate at Ruidoso.

“I believe it’s a vital part of racing to have incentives for the older horses,” he said. “Without the older horse, you don’t have much for very long.”

Trials for the Ruidoso Derby, which has a record purse, will be Saturday. Among those competing are champion Kates Dynasty, the winner of last year’s Grade 1 Texas Classic Futurity, and Turbulent Times, the winner of last year’s Golden State Million Futurity.

“I looked up some history on the Ruidoso Derby, and in 1997, it was worth $90,000,” Hubbard said. “It’s 10 times that this year. I think that’s pretty outstanding. We’re very optimistic this will be one of the best seasons in the history of Ruidoso. I know I’m ready to get it rolling.”