Ruidoso Quarter Horse Derby rematches All American Futurity finalists

A number of finalists from last year’s All American Futurity are back at Ruidoso Downs in New Mexico on Sunday for trials for the Grade 1, $950,000 Ruidoso Quarter Horse Derby.

There are 109 runners entered on the card of 11 trials. The horses with the 10 fastest times will advance to the finale June 6. Each trial will be run over 400 yards. The races will be conducted spectator-free due to the coronavirus pandemic. First post Sunday is 1 p.m. Mountain.

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Trainer Wes Giles could be poised for a big afternoon with 14 horses in the trials, more than any other conditioner. Charles Shults is next on the list, with 11. The trainers have at least one horse in each race Sunday.

The card opens with Aggressive Driver shooting for his fifth straight win, with his latest victory having come in the West Texas Derby on March 7 at Sunland Park. Ricky Ramirez has the mount from post 3 for trainer Blane Wood.

In the second race, My Fast Prize will get good support off a fifth-place finish in last year’s Grade 1 All American Futurity, the $3 million race that highlights each Labor Day program at Ruidoso.

Uncle D launches his season in the third race, having worked a bullet 220 yards in 11.30 seconds for trainer Clinton Crawford. Last year, Uncle D won the Grade 1, $1 million Rainbow Futurity at Ruidoso.

The fourth race features Bv Sheslikethewind, who invades from Remington Park for trainer Eddie Willis. Bv Sheslikethewind was second by a head in last year’s Grade 1, $1 million Ruidoso Futurity, won by Fernweh.

Fernweh is not racing in the trials Sunday. Owner Rusty Allred said earlier this week that Fernweh will start later this summer at Ruidoso, most likely in the time trials for the newly created All American Oaks for fillies, which has trials on Aug. 23 and a $300,000-estimated final Sept. 6. Fernweh, unbeaten in four starts, was the sharp winner of the $268,700 Remington Park Oklahoma-Bred Derby on April 18 in her 2020 stakes debut.

Sunday’s fifth trial at Ruidoso features Determined One. He makes his first start since finishing third by a neck in last year’s All American Futurity. Determined One was bred by R.D. Hubbard, who died in April at 84. Hubbard, a member of the American Quarter Horse Association Hall of Fame, was a longtime owner of Ruidoso who campaigned multiple champion Quarter Horses.

The seventh race Sunday drew Hotsempting, runner-up in last year’s Rainbow who is coming off a Feb. 14 win at Sunland.

Lil Miss Sashay goes in the eighth race, which will mark her first start since finishing fourth in last year’s All American Futurity.

In the final trial, Battle Weary will get good support off a third-place finish in the Grade 1 Texas Classic Futurity on Nov. 9 at Lone Star Park.

– additional reporting by Steve Andersen