Racing


Percyjones Shows Class In Zia Derby Trials
Percyjones, under jockey Ricky Ramirez, setting the fastest time in Saturday's $176,005 Zia Derby trials at Ruidoso Downs.

© Gay Harris / Ruidoso Downs
Percyjones Shows Class In Zia Derby Trials

RUIDOSO DOWNS, NM—JULY 15, 2017—Terry and Irene Stennett’s Percyjones showed his class with an easy win with the top qualifying mark for the Zia Quarter Horse Derby(RG2) Saturday afternoon at Ruidoso Downs. All of the trials were for New Mexico-breds and contested over 400 yards.

The horses with the 10-fastest times in the Zia Derby trials return in the $176,005 Zia Derby, also during the July 30th Zia Festival, a celebration of New Mexico-bred racing at Ruidoso Downs.

Yudes Jess Dashin (#2) gets the nod over Mitey Man (#1O) in the first Zia QH Derby trial (race 11) at Ruidoso Downs Saturday afternoon. © Gay Harris / Ruidoso Downs
Zia Derby top-qualifier Percyjones, a $35,000 Ruidoso sale purchase, has shown Grade 1 success against open horses and was the superior horse in the fourth trial.

The gelding by Jesse James Jr. pulled away from his rivals to win by one length in :19.791 as the 3-10 favorite. Ricky Ramirez was riding.

Percyjones raced to his fifth win from eight career starts. He showed his class when he was third, beaten by a neck, in the Grade 1, $1-million Texas Classic Futurity at Lone Star Park.

Trained by Trey Wood, Percyjones was second by a neck in last year’s $364,000 Mountain Top Futurity. Benny and Donna Smith bred the sorrel gelding from the Dean Miracle mare Maggies Miracle Lx.

Wood qualified three horses to the Zia Derby. Wood and jockey Raul Ramirez Jr. teamed for third fastest qualifier Mitey Man, a First Moonflash gelding owned by Bobby Simmons.

The trainer and jockey Ricky Ramirez also qualified 5th fastest Me Like Daddy, a Big Daddy Cartel filly for Ted Rushing, Dale Alan Doby and Tim Broadfoot.

Trainer Michel Joiner saddled Yudes Jess Dashin to victory in the first trial over Mitey Man to get the second fastest clocking of :19.905 seconds. Santiago Martinez road the Jess A Chicks gelding for owners Scott Bryant and Justin Joiner.

Mike Abraham bred Yudes Jess Dashin from the Dash Easy mare Baby Doll Dash.

Joiner also qualified 4th fastest Mystic Daddy, a Big Daddy Cartel gelding for Marc and Michelle Jungers and 6th fastest Moonshine Milly, a First Moonflash filly for Rogers Farm.

For a complete list of qualifiers, times, sires, dams, owners, breeders, trainers and jockeys for the RG2 Zia Quarter Horse Derby CLICK HERE.

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