Two-day trials for Rainbow Futurity begin Friday

It will take slightly less than six hours to run 15 time trials for the Rainbow Futurity on Friday at Ruidoso Downs.

Throughout the program, which begins at noon Mountain, there is a possibility the weather will change, notably wind direction or a chance of rain, conditions that could affect the all-important final times.

It will not take long to determine the benchmark time needed to qualify for the 400-yard final on July 18, which has an estimated purse of $1 million.

There are notable runners in the first four divisions compared to races with less-established juveniles later in the day. The ninth, 12th, and 13th trials are all maidens.

Cyber Monday, the undefeated winner of the $1 million Ruidoso Futurity on June 7, will start favored in the first division – with something to prove. Cyber Monday was vanned off after the Ruidoso Futurity. Track officials said the colt “pulled up tired” and was vanned to the test barn out of precaution.

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Purchased for $140,000 as a yearling, Cyber Monday has a formidable rival in Friday’s first race in the filly Flashing My Pjs, who won a division of the Heritage Place Futurity trials on May 9 at Remington Park in her lone start, but did not qualify for the final.

The second trial is led by Elmer, who was sixth in the Ruidoso Futurity. The favorite in the third race is likely to be A Dash of Sign, who was sixth by a half-length in the $891,900 Remington Park Oklahoma-Bred Futurity at 300 yards on April 18.

Misscandy Mountain, second in the Ruidoso Futurity, is the leading runner in the fourth race.

Overall, there are 146 horses entered in 15 trials – 22 winners, 107 maidens, and 17 first-time starters.

Aside from Cyber Monday, the only other stakes winner is Dalts Fancy Pistol, who won the $50,000 FL Lady Bugs Stakes for Oklahoma-breds at Remington Park and was seventh in the Remington Park Oklahoma-Bred Futurity. Dalts Fancy Pistol starts in the eighth race.

The five runners with the fastest qualifying times, regardless of finishing positions, will earn berths in the final. More than likely, the qualifiers will be five trial race winners, though it is possible a fast runner-up could gain a berth. In 2019, all 10 finalists were trial-race winners.

There are 15 trials on Saturday’s program that will determine the other five finalists.