Stakes 9/3/22

Heza Classy Now and Jockey Bryan Candanosa measured the finish line perfectly getting up just in time to win the $50,000 Bill Reed Memorial Stakes at Ruidoso Downs on Saturday.

The four-year-old gelding caught 13-year-old gelding Linda Tee Fire to win the 7th race and pay $7.60, $4.60 and $3.00 in a running time of 45.132 seconds for 870-yards. Heza Classy Now’s sire is Rock Solid Jess out of the mare Shez Classy Now by Now I Know. It was a second win this summer and fifth career win for owners Bob and Sissie McClure and trainer Toby Keeton.

In the 9th race, a $75,000 Labor Day weekend overnight stakes, Apollitical Pence and jockey Francisco Calderon broke the 250-yard track record in a time of 12.732 seconds to win and pay $4.00, $260 and $2.20. The six-year-old gelding made a first appearance of 2022 and now has won for the fifth straight time including last December’s $600,000 Champion of Champions at his home track of Los Alamitos. Apollitical Pence is sired by Apollitical Jess out of the mare Send City by Tres Seis for owner Matt Dunn and trainer Monty Arrossa. The gelding has career earnings of more than $1.5 million.

Racing continues on Sunday with the running of the $808,264 All American Derby and the $460,824 All American Oaks. First post time for the twelve-race card is scheduled for Noon.