Trainer Josue Ponce saddled four winners in Sunday's Grade 1 All American Derby trials at Ruidoso Downs.

RUIDOSO DOWNS, NM—AUGUST 20, 2018— On Sunday at Ruidoso Downs in New Mexico, trainer Josue Ponce sent out four runners in trial races for the rich All American Quarter Horse Derby. All four starters won, with three of the winners among the 10 fastest times, qualifying them for the Sept. 2 finals of the Grade 1, $1,237,604 fixture run over 440 yards.

On Monday, Ponce received a letter from Jeff True, president and general manager of All American Ruidoso Downs, LLC – the track's owner – telling him he was no longer welcome to stable or race horses there for the balance of the 2018 meeting.

True told the Paulick Report that two of the four horses saddled by Ponce were vanned off the racetrack after their trial race and that the other two were "in distress" and required immediate attention.

Only one other horse competing in the 11 trials on Sunday was in distress immediately following the races, True said.

"We thought the care of those horses was not up to professional standards," True said. "They had been under Mr. Ponce's care for a couple of months at Ruidoso, and their inability to return to the winner's circle made us think something was going on there."

Citing New Mexico statute and the Ruidoso Downs stall application and condition books, True in his letter to Ponce said Ruidoso Downs reserves the right to cancel stable space, prohibit participation and eject or exclude participants.

"The decisions to exclude your further participation from racing at Ruidoso are due to the apparent inhumane treatment of the horses under your care," reads True's letter, a copy of which was obtained by the Paulick Report. "Horses under your care demonstrated that they were unfit to complete the race and return to the winners' enclosure reflecting a lack of conditioning or some other mistreatment which puts them and all other horses and jockeys competing with them at risk of catastrophic injury.

"(All American Ruidoso Downs) is taking this action to protect the horses and riders competing at its facility from negligence or mistreatment by trainers, grooms, jockeys, or others on its property or competing in races here. The racing public, track management, and regulatory authorities expect horses to be treated and raced under humane and safe conditions and the performance of your horses on Sunday, August 19th, reflect negligence, a failure to prepare them adequately, or indicate some other improper treatment prior to the races."

All of Ponce's horses must be transferred to other trainers and will remain eligible to race in the All American Derby finals and other races, said True, adding that they will be placed under surveillance. On Monday, the four Derby trial winners were reported to True to be "in good shape" by an attending veterinarian.

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Courtesy PaulickReport.com.