RUIDOSO DOWNS, NM—AUGUST 29, 2010—M.C. and Cendy Stucks’ Jesstifiably Stoli is in peak form for trainer Russell Harris and the mare may reward them with her first stakes win in the $40,950 Merial New Mexico Distaff Challenge on Sunday afternoon at Ruidoso Downs.

First post time for the 9-race program is 1 p.m. and there is always free parking and free general admission at Ruidoso Downs.

After Sunday, the track will be dark until Friday when the traditional closing weekend festivities start.

Highlighting closing weekend is quarter horse racing’s showcase event, the Grade 1, $2,000,000 All American Futurity, on Labor Day afternoon. Fastest-qualifier JLS Mr Bigtime could grab the favorite’s role in this wide-open 440-yard dash.

On Sunday afternoon, the $1,548,000 All American Derby is headed by fastest-qualifier Apollitical Jess and Ruidoso Derby winner Double Down Special, who ran one-two in their trial with the two-fastest qualifying times. The All American Derby purse is the all-time record purse for a quarter horse derby.

The Ruidoso Select Quarter Horse Yearling Sale will be held at the sale pavilion east of the track on Friday through Sunday nights.

Jesstifiably Stoli has won two of her previous three starts with her only setback during that span a close third-place finish in the Merial Oklahoma Distaff Challenge. She fought for the lead and then was defeated by only a neck.

The 4-year-old Stoli mare stepped up in her Merial New Mexico Distaff Challenge trial when she won by one-half length and scored the fastest time of :19.716 from the two 400-yard trials.

David Pinon rides Jesstifiably Stoli with the inside post position.

Harris will also saddle 2009 Ruidoso Futurity finalist Jessy Jane in the Merial New Mexico Distaff Challenge. Her best effort this summer was a close third-place finish in a $12,000 filly-and-mare allowance race at Ruidoso Downs.

Mark Villa picks up the mount on the Mr Jess Perry 3-year-old and they start from the fifth post position.

Eric Marquez’s Righteous Tessa won the second Merial New Mexico Distaff Challenge trial by three quarters of a length with the second-fastest qualifying time. The 11-1 outsider was timed in :19.756.

It was the first win in nearly a year for the 4-year-old Righteous Brother mare and she came into the Merial New Mexico Distaff Challenge trials off a third-place finish in a $15,000 conditioned-claiming race.

Righteous Tessa has the third post position with Adan Fuentes aboard.

The Ralph Muniz-trained 3-year-old Silk Mountain was a close second in the Adequan New Mexico Derby Challenge and then raced to a third-place finish behind Jesstifiably Stoli in their Merial New Mexico Distaff Challenge trial.

Oscar Rincon rides the Panther Mountain 3-year-old from the seventh post position.

The winner of the Merial New Mexico Distaff Challenge receives a berth in the Merial Distaff Challenge Championship at Fair Grounds on November 19.