Fdd Dreams, under jockey Luis Martinez, romps to an easy victory in the Grade 1 $793,066 Ruidoso QH Derby Saturday afternoon at Ruidoso Downs Racetrack & Casino.

© Coady Media

By H. David Smith, StallioneSearch

RUIDOSO DOWNS, NM—JUNE 7, 2025—Multiple Grade 1 winner Fdd Dreams delivered a performance befitting his lofty reputation on Saturday afternoon at Ruidoso Downs, romping to a decisive 1½-length victory in the Grade 1, $793,066 Ruidoso Quarter Horse Derby.

Under the guidance of jockey Luis Martinez, the bay gelding surged from the inside post to take immediate control and was never challenged, covering the 400-yard distance in 19.605 seconds, a 93 speed index over a fast track.

The win marked another significant milestone for the son of four-time world champion sire FDD Dynasty and Treasured Dreams, by Apollitical Jess. Bred and owned by Javier Rodriguez,  La Feliz Montana Ranch LLC of New Mexico, and trained by Xavier Rodriguez, Fdd Dreams added $333,088 to his bankroll, boosting his career earnings to $1,209,889.

The winning connections of Fdd Dreams accept the Ruidoso QH Derby stakes trophy Saturday at Ruidoso Downs Racetrack & Casino. © Coady Media

"We’re all very excited," Javier said in the winner’s circle. "If everything comes out alright, we’ll see him again in the (Rainbow) Derby trials."
His resume now includes seven wins from eleven starts, highlighted by a juvenile campaign that featured a victory in the Texas Classic Futurity (G1), a second-place finish in the Rainbow Futurity (G1), and a third in the All American Futurity (G1).

Stablemate Little Vaquero, also trained by Rodriguez and owned and bred by La Feliz Montana Ranch LLC, finished a game second under jockey Francisco Calderon.

Ruidoso QH Derby winner Fdd Dreams walks to the winner's circle at Ruidoso Downs on Saturday. © Coady Media

The brown gelding by leading third-crop sire Flying Cowboy 123 out of Lethal Lil, by Corona Cartel, chased his stablemate throughout but was unable to threaten the winner, settling for the runner-up share of $142,752.

Little Vaquero, who brought a final bid of $130,000 as an RNA at the 2023 Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale, now sports earnings of $239,252 from seven starts.

Rounding out the trifecta was Eagle Aye, a bay colt by One Famous Eagle out of Miss Aguilar, by Tres Seis. Bred in Texas by Bobby D. Cox and racing for Tungsten Racing Partnership and Heysol Howlet, Eagle Aye made a late bid to claim third under jockey Luis Flores-Garcia for trainer Ramon Mendoza.

Javier Rodriguez of Feliz Montana Ranch congratulates jockey Luis Martinez after winning the Ruidoso QH Derby.
© Coady Media

The $155,000 TQHA Yearling Sale graduate earned $79,307 to increase his lifetime total to $115,145, and improved his record to three wins and three third-place finishes from nine starts. As a 2-year-old, he was a finalist in the West Texas Futurity (G2).

The remainder of the field included Daou, who finished fourth with a mild late bid; Stetsonn, who lacked a closing kick and settled for fifth; KJ Born To Be Wild, who broke well but failed to sustain his effort in sixth; and Cartel Perry, who false-broke at the start and was never a factor in seventh.

Three qualifiers—Electrifying Cowboy, Hardtokatch, and Lethal Cowboy 123—were scratched by the track veterinarian and each earned $20,487 for qualifying.

Saturday’s running of the Ruidoso Derby was contested under clear skies with temperatures in the mid-80s and a headwind of seven miles per hour. The total handle for the day’s feature race exceeded $635,000, as Fdd Dreams stamped himself as the clear leader among three-year-old Quarter Horses this season with another emphatic win at the mountain.

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