West Texas Maturity(G3) winner KJ Flying Cowgirl installed as the 9-5 morning-line favorite in the $45,000 John Andrini Memorial Stakes on Monday at Ruidoso Downs.

© Coady Media

By H. David Smith, StallioneSearch

RUIDOSO DOWNS, NM—MAY 22, 2025—A field of seasoned Quarter Horses will take center stage at Ruidoso Downs on Memorial Day, with KJ Flying Cowgirl installed as the 9-5 morning-line favorite in the $45,000 John Andrini Memorial Stakes, scheduled as Race 10 on the holiday card.

The 350-yard feature, open to three-year-olds and up, brings together a mix of proven stakes performers and rising talents. Topping the field is KJ Flying Cowgirl, a 5-year-old mare by leading third-crop sire Flying Cowboy 123 out of KJ Hotflash (First Moonflash), bred in Arizona by John and Kathy Lee. She is owned in partnership by John and W. Kathy Lee and I. Ruben Mares, trained by Wesley T. Giles, and will be ridden by Emilio Tapia.

KJ Flying Cowgirl boasts $170,303 in earnings with a record of 17 starts: 3 wins, 5 seconds, and 4 thirds. She enters off a victory in the Grade 3 West Texas Maturity at Sunland Park, where she posted a 101 speed index. The mare is proven over the Ruidoso surface with five in-the-money finishes from seven starts.

Challenging the favorite is RB Legacy, listed at 7-2 on the morning line. The 4-year-old gelding, by leading sire Corona Cartel and out of One Sweet Picky (One Sweet Jess), is trained by Marco A. Flores and ridden by Sergio Becerra Jr. He is both bred and owned by Ricardo Barrera Jr.

RB Legacy steps up in class  off back-to-back Allowance victories at Sunland Park, including a 99 speed index in his most recent start. With three wins from eleven lifetime starts and over $61,000 in earnings, he brings momentum and tactical speed to the race from post four.

Among the other top contenders is Uncle Bubb, set at 9-2, owned by Jesus Garcia Solis, and trained by Angel Hernandez Dominguez. The 3-year-old gelding by multiple stakes sire Kvn Corona has hit the board in all three starts this season and will be ridden by Noe Garcia Jr.

Rounding out the upper tier of betting interests is Bout Ta Learn Yall, pegged at 5-1. The 4-year-old gray gelding by leading sire  Apollitical Jess is out of blue-hen mare  Aquafina (First Down Dash), bred in Utah by McColee Land & Livestock LLC and owned by Francisco Navarrete. With a 103 career-best speed index and over $69,000 in earnings, he adds depth to an already competitive field. She was second in the Grade 2 Lovington Stakes in her last start on October 10, 2024.

First post at Ruidoso Downs on Monday is scheduled for 1:00 p.m., with the John Andrini Memorial Stakes set to go off at approximately 4:54 p.m. Mountain Time.

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