All American Weekend Kicks Off at Ruidoso Downs - The $3 Million All American Futurity Caps Off Labor Day Race Card

Photo of Whistle Stop Cafe by Jake Rogers, courtesy of Ruidoso Downs

RUIDOSO DOWNS, NM – SEPTEMBER 4, 2020 – The final weekend of racing at Ruidoso Downs promises to deliver exciting action as some of the fastest 2-year-olds and 3-year-olds take to the track for the All American Futurity, the All American Derby and the inaugural running of the All American Oaks. In addition, the All American Gold Cup, the All American Juvenile, the All American Invitational Stakes, the Governor’s Handicap, and the Bill Reed Memorial Stake round out a weekend full of stakes racing to cap off the season.

Monday’s season finale, the GI $3 Million All American Futurity is shaping up to be a battle between two fillies, the 2020 Rainbow Futurity winner Whistle Stop Cafe who is the morning line favorite at 3-1 and Flashing My Pjs, the speedster that clocked the fastest qualifying time in the trials.  

Three trainers have multiple qualifiers in the final. The barn of Blane Wood will see three horses compete including Whistle Stop Cafe, Famous and Easy, and Caliente Caramelo. The Eddie Willis barn will post HR Princess Jess and Apollitical Gold while Flashing My Pjs and Flash Bak hail from the barn of trainer John Stinebaugh.

The race will be contested at 440-yards and the approximate post time is 5:12 PM MDT. The Cowboy Channel will be broadcasting live from Ruidoso Downs, and their telecast will include live coverage of the All American Juvenile at 4:10 PM as well as the All American Futurity. 

The All American Juvenile is the eighth race on Monday’s card and features the top 10 non-qualifiers for the All American Futurity. The colt Dulce Sin Tacha, trained by Heath Taylor, is the morning line favorite at 4-1 and is one to watch in this race along with the Clint Crawford-trained Seven and the gray gelding Candy Blood.

Monday’s seventh race is the Governor’s Handicap, a 7 ½ furlong race for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up. Flyin Falynn out of the Chris Zamora barn is the 5-2 morning line favorite to win the $20,000 guaranteed race.

 On Sunday, the 3-year-old Quarter Horses will run in the GI $1,077,688 All American Derby, also a 440-yard race. This race, the ninth on the card, pits 2020 Ruidoso Derby champ Hotsempting against the 2020 Rainbow Derby winner Cers Final Try who beat the filly at the wire. Both will have stiff competition from the overall fastest qualifier, Gold Heart Eagle V who is the morning line favorite at 5-2. 

In the All American Oaks, the new division added this year to the Rainbow and All American Derbies, 3-year-old fillies will run 440-yards for a purse of $421,165 in Sunday’s seventh race. The morning line favorite at 9-5 and winner of the 2020 Rainbow Oaks, Ratification is also a sentimental favorite after the passing of her trainer John Buchanan last week. Ratification won her trial race by five lengths and clocked the top time. The Duke Shults-trained Kiss Thru Fire and Clinton Crawford’s Kieva are also expected to be contenders.

The All American Invitational Stakes is the fifth race on Sunday’s card and features the non-qualifiers of the All American Derby. Perry’s Double Down out of the Stinebaugh stables is the morning line favorite at 7-2 and is expected to face challenges from the Michael Joiner-trained Oatman Creek Senator who ran in the 2020 Ruidoso Derby and Todd Fincher’s Cattail Cove who is coming in from California to race.

The eighth race on Sunday, the GI $125,000 All American Gold Cup, is going to be a battle as we see 2018 All American Futurity winner Apocalyptical Jess return to the track. Even though the morning line has the gelding at 10-1, he will give morning line favorite Valiant Tiberias (9-5) all the competition he can handle. Dexxter, a newcomer to Ruidoso Downs from Monty Arrossa’s barn, is also expected to be a factor. The 3-year-olds and older will run 440 yards.

Saturday’s featured ninth race is the Bill Reed Memorial Stake. This 870-yard sprint for 3-year-olds and older will see Wascallywittlewabbit and Why Buy The Cow battle it out for a $20,000 prize.

This weekend, the drive-thru wagering windows located at the Ruidoso Sale Barn will allow patrons to bet on Sunday and Monday’s race cards one day in advance.

Racing continues through Labor Day with a 1:00 PM post time each day. At this time, the Turf Club and the Jockey Club are limited to 50% capacity due to the Public Health Order from the State of New Mexico. For more information on how to watch online, place your bet with your favorite online wagering provider, or conduct drive-thru wagering, please visit RaceRuidoso.com.