Heza Classy Now Dominates Mountain Top Futurity Trials

Photo of Heza Classy Now by Jake Rogers, courtesy of Ruidoso Downs.

RUIDOSO DOWNS, NM – MAY 29, 2020 – Heza Classy Now, a New Mexico-bred gelding, led the field of 10 qualifiers with a time of :17.712 on Friday afternoon during the Mountain Top Futurity Trials. The finals for the $350,000 Grade II Mountain Top Futurity for 2-year-old New Mexico-bred Quarter Horses will be held on June 13th at Ruidoso Downs Race Track.  

Heza Classy Now, is owned by Bob and Virginia McClure and is trained by Harvey Baeza. “He was kind of acting goofy in the starting gate waiting on some other horses to load, but then the gelding got quiet and jumped right out when they opened,” said Harvey Baeza. “I was just hoping my horse would stretch out. His mother (Shez Classy Now) is a champion 870-yard horse, so I knew we were in pretty good shape after he got the lead. I would be happier if my horse were running 440-yards instead of 350 in the final.” 

Jockey Paul Nieto rode Heza Classy Now to a dominant win in the fifth trial of the day over the rest of the field. It was Nieto’s only mount of the day. “I knew my horse was talented because I worked all spring with him at Remington Park,” said Jockey Paul Nieto. “He likes to look around and that’s what he was doing in the gate. He’s talented but needs experience and got some today.”

The final field for the Mountain Top Futurity is as follows –Heza Classy Now (17.712), Jessies Allstar (17.859), Leading Cartel (17.900), Midnight Train Mo (17.905), Lunas Glitteringstar (17.944), Woodys Gold (17.950), Hatchi Zulu (17.953), Surfz Up (17.954), Cannelloni (17.962), and Ezze Dash (17.966). Full list of time trials.

Live racing at Ruidoso Downs continues on Saturday with Quarter Horse Trials for the Ruidoso Maiden Stakes that will be run on June 14th. The top 10 qualifiers of three, four and five-year-olds will compete at 350 yards in the first five races on Saturday. The race card also includes an afternoon of Thoroughbred races.

Post time of 1:00 PM MDT. For more information on how to watch and wager, please visit RaceRuidoso.com.