Uptown Dynasty vs. Bigg Daddy in All American Futurity

Uptown Dynasty is the most accomplished horse in Monday’s $3 million All American Futurity field, but there’s a chance his stablemate Bigg Daddy could go off as the favorite in the Quarter Horse classic, which closes the Ruidoso Downs meet.

“I have no idea who will be the favorite at the end of the day,” said Wes Giles, who trains both horses. “You never know what people are going to do.”

The 440-yard Grade 1 All American, the richest race for Quarter Horses, is race 10 on a 12-race program.

Uptown Dynasty is the lone Grade 1 winner over open company in the All American, having finished in a dead heat with Eagle Jazz in June’s Ruidoso Futurity. Uptown Dynasty came back and ran second to that rival in the Grade 1 Rainbow in July before winning his All American trial by 1 1/4 lengths Aug. 19.

“He’s been running against the toughest group all summer and he’s been strong all summer,” Giles said. “There’s not many horses that can qualify for all three of these finals, and Uptown Dynasty did. There’s luck involved, but I think it shows durability, also.”

Giles said he believes Uptown Dynasty ran a better race in his All American trial than he did in the Rainbow, when he was coming off a procedure to address an entrapped epiglottis sustained in his Rainbow trial July 8.

“Everything wasn’t in his favor in the Rainbow,” Giles said.

Cipriano Vidana has the mount from post 5.

Bigg Daddy, who drew post 7, was the fastest qualifier on the second day of trials Aug. 19, when he won his heat by 2 3/4 lengths in 21.61 seconds. Uptown Dynasty’s time was 21.80. It was the third straight win for Bigg Daddy and his first outside of races restricted to New Mexico-breds.

“You never know how they’re going to stack up against that group,” Giles said. “It didn’t pan out too bad.”

Bigg Daddy won the Zia Futurity, a restricted Grade 1, in July at Ruidoso and was third in the track’s Mountain Top Futurity in June.

“The horse has only been beat one time on this track,” Giles said, “and he drew the 10 hole and went clear out to the fence and came back and ran third in the [Mountain Top]. He lost a lot of ground when he did that. He’s been 4 out of 5 on this track. He’s been consistent and he’s getting more mature as he goes along.”

G.R. Carter will ride Bigg Daddy, who like Uptown Dynasty figures to show speed.

“That’s been their strong suit so far,” Giles said. “They get into the race early. They make it hard for them to pass them.”

Shakem Bye Perry, fastest qualifier on the first day of trials, will break from post 10.

◗ Trace Dynasty seeks her first stakes win in the $200,000 All American Juvenile two starts after running second by a neck in the $1.1 million Heritage Place Futurity at Remington.

◗ On the Lowdown seeks to win his third straight race in the $135,395 Rio Grande Senor Futurity for 2-year-olds bred in New Mexico.

◗ D E Lover will improve his local record to 9 for 14 if he can win the $50,000 Ruidoso Thoroughbred Championship for the second year in a row.