Siblings square off in Ruidoso Derby

The mare Babe On the Fly produced the winner of last year’s Ruidoso Quarter Horse Derby and has two chances to do the same on Saturday with offspring Jm Specialwynn and Glock. But the 3-year-olds are not twins. Jm Specialwynn and Glock are half-siblings through an embryo transfer process and rank as capable contenders in this year’s renewal of the Grade 1, $815,045 Ruidoso Derby.

The Ruidoso Derby, a 400-yard race led by Tempting Destiny and Bf Farm Boss, is the first major race for 3-year-olds on the Ruidoso calendar. The series continues with the $1 million Rainbow Derby on July 18 and the $2.3 million All American Derby on Sept. 6.

Jm Specialwynn, who was the fastest qualifier for Saturday, and Glock, who set the fourth-fastest time for the finale, were both foaled from surrogate mares. They were sold at auction as yearlings, with Jm Specialwynn, a son of Walk Thru Fire, racing for J & M Racing and Farm and Glock, by Foose, owned by Paul E. Blanchard. Both horses were bred in California by Dr. Steve Burns.

“We did a couple of embryo transfers on [Babe On the Fly], so she was able to have a couple of foals of that year by two different stallions,” Burns said. “It just so happened both of them ended up being fairly fast, which is good.”

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Burns said that while embryo transfers are fairly common in the Quarter Horse industry, it is more unusual to see half-siblings of the same crop land in a major race. Burns was the breeder of last year’s Ruidoso Derby winner, Rock You, who also was an embryo transfer. Rock You, like Glock, is by Foose.

Ruidoso Derby, race 10

KEY CONTENDERS

Jm Specialwynn

◗ The older half-sibling, he won his Ruidoso Derby trial by two lengths for trainer Albert Franco, covering 400 yards in 19.79 seconds May 24. Last year, Jm Specialwynn won the $100,000 All American Juvenile at Ruidoso.

“He was a big, racy-looking yearling, and I think he still is kind of big and athletic-looking,” said Burns, who raised Jm Specialwynn.

◗ Jesse Lee Levario has the mount from post 5.

Glock

◗ He won his trial by a neck, covering the distance in 19.82 seconds for trainer Paul Jones.

“Glock was maybe not quite as big [as Jm Specialwynn], but he was a real pretty, athletic yearling when we sold him,” said Burns.

◗ Salvador Martinez has the mount from post 7.

◗ The community of Alto, N.M., located a few miles from Ruidoso Downs, has a Belmont Stakes rooting interest Saturday in Materiality. The horse’s owners, Gil Moutray and Eddie Harrell, have homes in Alto, according to a release from Ruidoso.