Stable Notes by Mike Ahrens: Friday, May 29, 2020

Last weekend we saw in both the Ruidoso Futurity Trials and Ruidoso Derby Trials a horse make the finals out of the last trial. With today's Mountain Top New Mexico Bred QH Futurity Trials we again saw a runner come out of the last heat of the day to qualify for the finals when Hatchi Zulu for trainer Janell Sanderson posted the seventh-fastest time of the day with a mild cross-wind in tow. Sanderson had already won the first two races of the day with Cannelloni and Lunas Glitteringstar, and those two provided the ninth- and fifth-fastest time of the day, respectively, to also qualify for the finals, giving the young trainer three qualifiers. Asked about her runners after her sweep of the early double, she said "I hope all they all do this. If they run like this in the big race then we're good."

Getting knocked down to 11th place after the final trial was the winner of race three, Vine Master, sent out by trainer J.J. Gonzales. "He didn't get away too good today, he kind of scrambled and fell in. Hopefully he qualifies and he'll be tough in the finals."

The fastest qualifier of the day came in race five with Heza Classy Now, who hails from the barn of Harvey Baeza. He was making his second start today having previously started at Remington with a seventh-place showing in a maiden race. Of that race Baeza said "He ran at night and he just didn't like it, and when he came out he bolted toward the rail. Then he got to running but it was too late in that short race." When queried after the race about having the fastest time thus far, Baeza said "We'll see what it [the wind] does. I hope it stays that way."

Two races later, what had been a moderate tailwind all morning abruptly switched to a headwind. The winner of that race, the seventh, went to Eagles and Dragons for trainer Juan Gonzalez. After veering out dramatically to the outer rail at the start, he gathered momentum to win by two-and-a-quarter lengths. While the time was not quick enough to qualify, Juan Carlos Gonzalez was nevertheless pleased, saying "We knew had talent but he blew our minds away."

The wind continued to be ahead- or cross-wind throughout the remainder of the day and only two runners thereafter made the top 10--the Sanderson trainee mentioned above, and another impressive runner from the barn of Mike Robbins in Leading Cartel. Running in race eight against a seven-mile per hour headwind, he posted the third-fastest time of the day while besting Kellys First Moon by three-quarters of a length. The latter was also considered to be a talented runner by Juan Carlos Gonzalez and ended up with the 12th fastest time of the day.