Flyin Rabbit 123 Scores First Stakes Win Of Season In The Ruidoso Invitational Stakes

RUIDOSO, NM–JUNE 8, 2024–Flyin Rabbit 123 gets his first stakes win of the season in the $100,000 Ruidoso Quarter Horse Invitational Stakes at Ruidoso Downs on Saturday.

Juan Pulido got the leg up on the multiple stakes winner. Favored to win, Flyin Rabbit 123 led the field of ten from wire-to-wire and crossed the wire 3/4-lengths ahead of Yippee Ki Yey. The son of Flying Cowboy 123 clocked an 83 speed index against a ten mph headwind in :19.956 seconds. The 400-yard victory paid $5.00 to win on a $2.00 wager.

Trainer Toby Keeton conditions Flyin Rabbit 123, who earned $42,967 for today's win, upping his total earnings to $309,438. The sorrel gelding is coming off of two second-place finishes for 2024, one in his trial to the Ruidoso Derby [G1] and the other in the Mr Master Bug Stakes.

Flyin Rabbit 123 has four wins from ten starts, including the Grade 2 Southwest Juvenile Invitational Stakes and Texas Classic Juvenile Stakes. He broke his maiden in the Grade 1 All American Futurity trials, returning for a fourth-place finish in the finals during his freshman campaign.

Louis Trey Malechek, III owns and bred Flyin Rabbit 123 out of the Foose mare Hardtoget in Oklahoma.

Ridden by Mario Delgado, Yippee Ki Yey was bumped at the start and chased Flyin Rabbit 123 to the wire for second. Trained by Cody Noel, the son of Tres Seis has lit the board six of nine starts with $83,067 in the bank, including a victory in the Ruidoso Juvenile Stakes last year.

Bred and owned by Stanley Forbes of Texas, Yippee Ki Yey is out of Jess Shantastic by Fantastic Corona Jr.

Jockey Christian Ramos rode Ezze Boy in a steady bid for third. The son of Apollitical Jess just broke his maiden this year and has lifetime earnings of $30,106 for his owner, Adrian Zapata. Guadalupe Munoz, Jr trains him.

Breeder Reliance Ranch LLC sold Ezze Boy to his owner for $140,000 in the 2022 Heritage Place Yearling Sale. He is out of Back In The Pack by Corona For Me.

Jones Hero, Moes, Kj Little Duce Coup, Gt Got A Tarzan, Top Cowboy, and Rayenare round out the order of finish.