Stinebaugh pair take on unbeaten Whistle Stop Cafe in All American Futurity

Trainer John Stinebaugh has been coming to Ruidoso Downs since 1987, and it’s safe to say he has never seen an All American Futurity Day like the one he will encounter Monday, when he sends out Flashing My Pjs and Flash Bak against the undefeated Whistle Stop Cafe in the $3 million classic for Quarter Horses.

The All American Futurity will be run before a very limited number of people due to restrictions in New Mexico brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. The race anchors a closing-day card that includes the $200,000 consolation, the All American Juvenile.

In the past, it would have been a packed house on Labor Day.

“I’ve seen it with so many people here that they used the barn area as a parking lot as well,” Stinebaugh said. “You could hardly get the horses out of the barn area to the paddock.”

It will be much quieter when Flashing My Pjs starts as a top contender. She was the fastest qualifier on Day 2 of trials for the All American, when she won her 440-yard heat in 21.203 seconds. For the finale, she breaks from post 2 under Benito Baca.

“I had a bunch of really nice fillies this year,” Stinebaugh said. “During the spring and coming into the summer, I told the owners of Flashing My Pjs that I felt like she was the only one of those fillies that would be the real quarter of a miler that would show up in August.

“She’s tough like that and she’s big. She’s a big, strong horse.”

Flashing My Pjs is by First Moonflash and out of the mare Pj Chick in Black, a past winner of the Grade 1 Ruidoso Futurity. Stinebaugh said Flashing My Pjs shares some similarities with her dam, who earned more than $600,000.

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“She acts just like her and their conformation is very, very similar,” he said. “Her mom was as fast as horses get. This filly is fast, too.”

Flash Bak finished second in his Aug. 21 trial behind Whistle Stop Cafe. He was beaten a half-length.

“I think they have him to deal with,” Stinebaugh said. “That’s a really nice horse. He comes from a great family of horses.”

Flash Bak is out of the Grade 1-winning mare Checknbac, who is by Check Him Out.

“I love Check Him Out mares,” said Stinebaugh, noting the line performs at 440 yards.

Jesus Ayala has the mount from post 4.

Whistle Stop Cafe will start from post 7, under regular rider Ricky Ramirez. He’s been aboard for all five of her starts – all wins, including the Grade 1 Rainbow Futurity at Ruidoso.

For the All American, horsemen were able to select posts and the task was left to Ramirez, who will be aboard for trainer Blane Wood.

“My gut feeling was to go with the 7,” he said. “It was open. I don’t have any reason why. I like the 8 and 9 horse. It will be a three-way race.”

Instygator will break from post 8 following a 3 1/2-length trial win, and Jettz starts from post 9 after a 2 3/4-length trial win. Whistle Stop Cafe set the fastest qualifying time on Day 1 of the trials, winning in 21.61. The chart of the race said she bled and was vanned off.

“She’s been doing good,” Ramirez said. “She’s been training and eating all her feed. We’ve tried to get her fresh. I took her to the track Tuesday morning. She stood in the gate. I took her around the racetrack.”

Ramirez long has been a top Quarter Horse jockey and the 35-year-old is looking for his first win in the All American.

“I’ve been chasing it for the last 100 years,” he joked. “The first opportunity was in 2009. I’ve ridden it every year but twice.”

Maybe it happens for Ramirez during a most historic All American.

– additional reporting by Steve Andersen