RUIDOSO DOWNS, NM—JULY 7, 2018—Joe Rios' Suze Returns blew away her rivals with a sensational effort to set the fastest-qualifying time on the second day of trials to the Grade 1, $1 million Rainbow Futurity at Ruidoso Downs on Saturday afternoon.

The two-year-olds with the five-fastest times from Saturday's 14 trials join the juveniles with the five-fastest times on Friday afternoon in the 400-yard Rainbow Futurity on July 22 at Ruidoso Downs.

The horses with the five-fastest unofficial times in the 400-yard trials on Saturday were (Suze Returns (:19.749), Sure Fire Quick (:19.886), My Mystery Lover (:19.915), Longgone Perry (:19.938) and Flashing Candy (:19.986).

Suze Returns, a $30,000 supplement to enter the trials, easily put a slight bump at the start of the eighth trial behind her and went to the front. She had the trial in hand by about the fourth jump and showed her brilliance over 400 yards. Regular rider Jaime Parga Leos let her roll and she scored by two lengths as the 1-5 favorite. There was an eight mile-per-hour tailwind.

A daughter of leading third-crop sire High Rate Of Return, Suze Returns demanded the strong favoritism. She won the Grade 2, $269,000 West Texas Futurity by a neck as the 5-2 favorite and was second by one-half length behind Blue Corazon in the Grade 1, $1 million Ruidoso Futurity. That is her sole defeat from five starts. Flagg Ranch LLC bred the filly in Oklahoma from the Mr Eye Opener mare Brown Eye Suze.

"She's just phenomenal," trainer Juan Carlos Gonzalez said. "I always thought that 400 (yards) would be her best distance.

"I feel very relieved, especially with paying the supplement. It's just wonderful. I'm blessed."

Suze Returns made her first start on March 23 and looks like she could still be improving in July. "I don't know how to explain it," owner Rios said. "She's special."

A $13,000 Heritage Place Yearling Sale graduate, Suze Returns has banked more than $321,600 in five starts this season.

Ricardo Bernal and Reymundo Resendez's Sure Fire Quick kept 24-year-old trainer Rodolfo "Rudy" Valles' eye-catching summer at Ruidoso Downs in the limelight with his win in the sixth trial. Valles swept the Ruidoso Futurity and the Ruidoso Derby to gain national attention.

Sure Fire Quick, a $25,000 Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale purchase, went to the lead in his trial under Agustin Silva, and fought to a neck win as the 3-1 second choice. The Walk Thru Fire-sired gelding won his maiden after a close second-place run in his West Texas Futurity trial and then running fourth in tight quarters in his Ruidoso Futurity trial.

"He has been working pretty well, so I'm not surprised," Valles said. "I think the wind picked up a little bit and helped him." He had a nine mile-per-hour tailwind, similar to the earlier trials on the program.

Melissa Ann Miller bred Sure Fire Quick in Texas from the Mr Jess Perry mare One Quick Jess.

Reymundo Medrano and Valeriano Racing Stables' My Mystery Lover, a $100,000 Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale purchase, was second to Sure Fire Quick with the afternoon's third-fastest qualifying mark. The daughter of Apollitical Jess and Love Samba was second in her Ruidoso Futurity trial, her only other start.

My Mystery Lover will be the third horse trainer Blane Wood has in the Rainbow Futurity. He qualified two horses from Friday's trials.

Leading Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale consignor bred My Mystery Lover from the Corona Cartel Love Samba.

Jockey Ricky Ramirez rode My Mystery Lover as well as Wood-trained qualifiers Mm Fourinthemorning and Flying Cowboy on Friday.

Licon Farm and Ranch, LLC's Longgone Perry won the first trial by one length under G.R. Carter Jr. It was his first win, however he raced in the $100,000 Ruidoso Juvenile.

"We gelded him after his West Texas (Futurity) trial and then he had trouble in the Ruidoso Juvenile," trainer Mike Joiner said. "Hopefully, we get better from here."

Longgone Perry is a son of leading sire Mr Jess Perry from the Strawfly Special mare The Long Straw. He is the second Rainbow Futurity qualifier bred by Grant Farms LLC in Louisiana. On Friday they were the breeder of second fastest qualifier One Famous Stone.

PV Quarter Horse Farms', LLC's homebred Flashing Candy took the second trial by a nose to push his record to two-for-two for trainer Clint Crawford. Carter was aboard the gelding by First Moonflash.

Flashing Candy, out of the Corona Cartel mare Candy Cartel, was an easy winner of a maiden race at Remington Park.

PV Quarter Horse Farms is the legacy of Carl Pevehouse, who was inducted into the Ruidoso Downs Racehorse hall of Fame on Thursday evening.

CLICK HERE for the top 10 Rainbow Futurity qualifiers, their times, sires, dams, owners, breeders, trainers and jockeys.

The second five-fastest from each day are preferred invites for the $100,000 Rainbow Juvenile Invitational, which will also run back on July 22nd. For the list of those horses CLICK HERE.

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