Ruidoso Downs Hosts Full Weekend of Quarter Horse Trials Rainbow Futurity, Rainbow Derby, Rainbow Oaks
Cyber Monday at Ruidoso Downs Race Track. Photo by Jake Rogers, courtesy of Ruidoso Downs.
RUIDOSO DOWNS, NM – JULY 2, 2020 – The race card this weekend at Ruidoso Downs features three days of trials highlighting some of the fastest 2-year-old and 3-year-old Quarter Horses in the industry, and they will all be running against the clock. Almost 300 2-year-olds will run in 30-time trial heats vying for a spot in the GI $1 Million Rainbow Futurity, the second leg of the Quarter Horse Triple Crown on Friday and Saturday. Sunday’s card features a time trial double-header with 72 head running for a chance at the $700,000 Rainbow Derby, and 32 mares and fillies competing for a spot in the inaugural $300,000 Rainbow Oaks.
The Rainbow Futurity trials promise not to disappoint as Friday starts off with a bang. The first race features Ruidoso Futurity winner, Cyber Monday squaring off with the John Stinebaugh-trained sleeper Flashing My PJs. Then in the second race, Elmer, the fastest qualifier for the Ruidoso Futurity, leads the field. The finals for the 400-yard Rainbow Futurity will be run on Sunday, July 19th.
On Sunday, the first four races of the day will feature trials for the Rainbow Oaks, the all-new division of the Derby series for the Rainbow and All American. The Oaks division was designed to enhance the value of fillies and give them a better chance to win later in their 3-year-old career. The last heat of the Oaks trials features Fernweh, the winner of last year’s Ruidoso Futurity. Fernweh, with four lifetime starts and four wins, will have jockey Ricky Ramirez aboard.
“Fillies are competitive with colts as 2-year-olds as we saw early in the year, at a shorter distance,” said Jeff True, President and General Manager of Ruidoso Downs Race Track. “Later in the summer, the colts and geldings get stronger and longer. We think that part of the fillies’ success last year was this program. This practice is typical in Thoroughbred racing but is only happening recently in Quarter Horse racing. We are very excited about this new division.”
The Oaks trials will be followed by eight-time trials as 72 3-year-olds battling it out for a spot in the Grade I Rainbow Derby. The twelfth and final race of the day is surely the one to watch as it features four horses that promise an epic battle. Big Chuck, trained by Duke Shultz, Determined One from the barn of Todd Fincher, the John Stinebaugh-trained He’s Back, and the Ruidoso Futurity winner Hotsempting are sure to put on a weekend finale that will be one to remember.
The finals of the Rainbow Oaks and Rainbow Derby, both set at 440 yards, will be run on Saturday, July 18th.
Post time is 12:00 Noon MDT on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. 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 due to COVID-19. For more information on how to watch online, place your bet with your favorite online wagering provider, or conduct drive-thru wagering locally, please visit RaceRuidoso.com.