Preview Racing


Zia Futurity Richest of Nine Stakes Races During Zia Festival on Sunday at Ruidoso Downs
A Passion For Flashn races to fastest qualifying time to Zia Futurity.

© Gay Harris / Ruidoso Downs
Zia Futurity Richest of Nine Stakes Races During Zia Festival on Sunday at Ruidoso Downs

RUIDOSO DOWNS, NM—JULY 26, 2017— Fastest qualifier A Passion For Flashn in the $370,820 Zia Quarter Horse Futurity, boasting the largest purse on the program, heads the nine stakes races in the 11-race Zia Festival card on Sunday afternoon at Ruidoso Downs.

Ten of the 11 races have eight or more horses in the field and the other race has seven entries.

First post time is 1 p.m. with free parking and free general admission.

The Zia Festival is a celebration of New Mexico racing with each of the stakes races is for New Mexico-breds.

The Zia Festival is more than racing. There are more than 60 vendors specializing in southwestern goods and a special section filled with fun for children.

The 400-yard Zia Quarter Horse Futurity brings together the 10-fastest qualifiers from seven trials held on July 15.

Percyjones setting fastest qualifying time to Zia Derby.
© Gay Harris / Ruidoso Downs
RC Racing, LLC’s A Passion For Flashn, a $6,500 Ruidoso yearling sale bargain, has earned $36,560 and could earn $155,745 with a Zia Futurity win. The son of First Moonflash dominated in his trial by three-and-one-half lengths and his time of :19.953 for 400 yards was the quickest time from the trials.

Two starts ago, A Passion For Flashn was fourth in the $393,000 Mountain Top Quarter Horse Futurity. The Martin Orona Sr.-trained colt won his Mountain Top Futurity trial by one length.

Mauro Salcedo rides A Passion For Flashn from the fifth post position.

Starting just outside of A Passion For Flashn is the dangerous Bigg Daddy, a well bred gelding by Big Daddy Cartel and champion Alice K White. He was a $25,000 Ruidoso yearling sale purchase and has earned $53,273.

Too For Two’s Bigg Daddy was third in the Mountain Top Futurity and came back to win his Zia Futurity trial by one length under G.R. Carter Jr. He was the sixth-fastest qualifier to the Zia Futurity.

Stormin the Jewels winning the 2016 Road Runner Handicap during Zia Festival. © Gay Harris / Ruidoso Downs
Carter will be aboard Bigg Daddy for trainer Wes Giles.

The $176,005 Zia Quarter Horse Derby, with the second-largest purse on the program, is headed by fastest-qualifier Percyjones. The $35,000 Ruidoso yearling sale purchase has a strong record against open company and set the fastest-qualifying time to the Zia Derby. He raced the 400 yards in :19.791 while winning his trial by one length.

Terry and Irene Stennett’s Percyjones, a gelding by Jesse James Jr., showed his class when he was third by a neck in the Grade 1, $1-million Texas Classic Futurity back in November.

Trainer Trey Wood will have Ricky Ramirez ride Percyjones when he starts from the sixth post position.

By By JJ LLC’s Running Dragon, trained by Juan Gonzalez, must always be considered after she has won 10 of 13 starts and has banked $573,041. The daughter of Zulu Dragon won three consecutive stakes races at Sunland Park before coming to Ruidoso Downs and starting in her Zia Derby trial.

Running Dragon broke through the gate before the start of her trial, yet still managed to finish third and qualify for the Zia Derby.

Regular rider Adrian A. Ramos rides Running Dragon from the third post position.

The longest race on the Zia program, the $50,000 Land of Enchantment Handicap, brings out thoroughbreds racing seven-and-one-half furlongs.

Owned by Barton Ranch Stables, LLC with trainer Blake Rust, Shining Source thrives racing around two turns. The gelded son of Source won the $85,000 New Mexico State University Handicap over one mile and seventy yards in March and took the one mile $40,000 Jack Cole Handicap in gate-to-wire fashion two starts ago.

Elvin Gonzalez rides Shining Source from the fourth post position.

J & SM, Inc.’s Stormin The Jewels takes on the fastest New Mexico-bred thoroughbreds over five-and-one-half furlongs in the $50,000 Sierra Blanca Handicap.

A gelding by Attila’s Storm purchased for at the Ruidoso yearling sale for $30,000, Stormin The Jewels wins at Ruidoso Downs. A year ago, he won the Road Runner Handicap and two starts ago he took an optional-claiming race at five furlongs by four lengths as the 8-5 favorite.

Trainer Fred Danley will have Enrique Portillo Gomez on Stormin The Jewels with the third post position.

Joe Dee Brooks, Scott Bryant and Derrol Hubbard’s Diabolical Dame is the 2-1 morning-line favorite against older fillies and mares in the $50,000 Lincoln Handicap at six furlongs.

A $25,000 Ruidoso yearling purchase that has earned $518,980, Diabolical Dame makes her 2017 Ruidoso Downs’ debut for trainer Todd Fincher after a strong Sunland Park campaign. At Sunland Park, the daughter of Diabolical won the $65,000 Bold Ego Handicap and picked up seconds in the $100,000 La Coneja Handicap and the $85,000 New Mexico Racing Commission Handicap.

Roimes Chirinos picks up the mount on Diabolical Dame with the seventh post position.

In the $50,000 Sierra Starlet for three-year-old fillies at five-and-one-half furlongs, J. Kirk and Judy Robison’s homebred Pink Cadillac tries to rebound from a poor performance in a conditioned allowance race after showing success against stakes company.

Pink Cadillac won the $100,000 New Mexico Breeders Oaks and was second in the $85,000 Enchantress Stakes at Sunland Park before her defeat at The Downs at Albuquerque. Trainer Joel Marr will have Miguel Fuentes aboard Pink Cadillac with the eighth post position.

The $50,000 Zia Handicap for quarter horses at 400 yards, Daniel Balderrama’s three-year-old Magnifico Dragon challenges older horses after winning six of 11 career starts with three seconds and one third-place run. He has earned $296,021.

The Cynthia Gonzalez-trained Magnifico Dragon was second to Running Dragon in the $95,000 Shue Fly Stakes at Sunland Park before winning his Ruidoso Derby and Zia Derby trials at Ruidoso Downs without a qualifying time. Magnifico Dragon drew the fifth post position and Mauro Salcedo will be aboard.

The first race on this most attractive program, the $50,000 Zia 870 Championship, brings out both thoroughbreds and quarter horses.

The Nancy Summers-owned and -trained thoroughbred Weappear will be in a strong position when he starts from the inside post position.

Weappear made a six-wide move in his latest race — a $30,500 allowance race at 870 yards — to win by one length. That was after four consecutive runner-up finishes. The first two races were short thoroughbred sprints and the final two races were 870-yard races.

A year ago, Weappear was moved up to the win in the Zia 870 Championship through a disqualification.

Duane Lee Sterling has the mount on Weappear.

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