Turf Paradise track report

Not only did rider Mick Ruis have a big day last Saturday by winning three in a row, but he had the sense to win the right bunch of races, as two of the wins came in the co-featured Arizona Breeders Futurities.

The streak started in race 5 with B.C.'s Hero. Then in the $40,283 fillies division of the futurities, he guided maiden Missingrbueno to upset heavily favored Cuttin In, who was unbeaten and untested in her first two outings. Missingrbueno, owned by Richard Zillman and trained by Kevin Eikleberry, covered the six furlongs in 1:11.20 to win by under a length.

Ruis then guided the heavily favored Desert Prospector to a front-running 2 3/4-length victory in the $42,384 colt-and-gelding division. Trained by Bart Hone, Desert Prospector got his six furlongs in 1:10.60.

Desert Prospector is a son of Big Sky Chester, a local stakes winner also trained by Hone.

Saturday's Daily Racing Form/National Thoroughbred Racing Association and Coast Casinos qualifying handicapping tournaments this coming weekend have lured 236 players from 25 states. At stake, besides prize money, are berths to the DRF/NTRA national finals and new Coast Casinos Horseplayer World Series. Both are held in Las Vegas, the DRF/NTRA event at Bally's on Jan. 21-22, the Horseplayer World Series at The Orleans on Jan. 27-29.