Trendi, Kiss My Hocks back for All American Futurity trials

Trendi and Kiss My Hocks are elite 2-year-old Quarter Horses, but when they attempt to qualify for the $2.6 million All American Futurity during trials at Ruidoso Downs on Thursday and Friday, the task will not be easy. They are among 280 horses vying for just 10 spots in the finale Sept. 1 at the New Mexico track.

There are 28 trials to be run between Thursday and Friday, and the horses with the five fastest times on each date will advance to the Grade 1 All American Futurity, which is the richest race for 2-year-olds in North America. Ruidoso will card 14 trials each day, with first post at 1 p.m. Mountain. Each trial will be contested at 440 yards and have a purse of $4,500.

Trendi will run Thursday in the second race. She is ranked third in a national 2-year-old poll put out by the American Quarter Horse Association after a neck win over Kiss My Hocks in the Grade 1 Rainbow Futurity at Ruidoso in her last start July 20. Trendi is a full sister to Stolis Winner, the 2008 world champion and a past winner of the All American. She will break from the rail under Larry Gamez, who has the mount for William E. Smith and trainer Wes Giles.

Kiss My Hocks, the nation’s top-ranked 2-year-old, will run Friday in the eighth race. He suffered his first defeat in six starts in the Rainbow, where he encountered trouble and closed with a rush as the 2-5 favorite. Prior to that, Kiss My Hocks had won the Grade 1 Ruidoso Futurity and the Grade 2 Sam Houston Futurity. Cody Jensen has the mount from post 8 for owners Conda Maze and Tyler Graham and trainer Toby Keeton.