Weekend Preview by Mike Ahrens: May 29- 31, 2020
The second weekend of live racing kicks off with The Mountain Top New Mexico Bred Futurity Trials, of which there will be 13 on Friday, May 29th. Racing continues on Saturday with an 11-race card featuring trials for The Ruidoso Maiden Stakes comprising the first five events of the day, followed by the first two-year-old thoroughbred race of the meet. Sunday's action starts off with a mixed maiden race comprised of quarter horses and thoroughbreds going 870 yards and also features several good allowance events with the showcase of the day being the second running of the Dash for Speed Stakes for fillies and mares three years old and upwards going 350 yards.
The Wes Giles barn seems to consistently have a few very good NM-breds in each crop. In race six on Friday, Babee Daddy will try to prove he belongs with the stables' past stars when he makes his debut from post two. "He's been working nice from day one," said Jill Giles, and won his training race here May 6th in a good time. They also send out Saleena in the 13th and final race for MJ Farms who bred this filly and usually own some good runners.
Two year old thoroughbred racing was just starting at Sunland when the track was forced to cease running. Consequently, there are many such horses who have had additional time to train but have one or no races under their belts. Saturday's sixth race features eight New Mexico-bred two year old fillies each making her debut going four-and-a-half furlongs. Two of those, The Pacesetter and Indigo Slew breaking from posts three and four respectively, come from the barn of Todd Fincher. "We've been ready for two months. They're over-ready and hopefully not stale," Fincher said. "We've had to make adjustments but as far as I can tell, I've got about 30 of them ready to run. Just trying to get horses run for these owners who have been patiently waiting." Jose R. Gonzalez, Jr. sends out two for owner Gallegos Del Norte Racing, with Fire Fling breaking from post seven and Rio Sand Dancer to her outside. "Both will be the first two-year-old starters for new Storm Cat stallion Bernster," Gonzalez said. "They've been doing everything well, we're just trying to get them a solid first out to gain experience for upcoming trials later on in the meet."
The Dash For Speed Stakes goes as the featured 10th race Sunday and looks to be a fairly evenly matched field. Mystic Blues is one of two for trainer Ramon Mendoza and counts among her accomplishments a fourth-place finish in last year's Rainbow Derby. Dashin Special Cuz, trained by Beatriz Sanchez-Carillo, makes her seasonal bow coming off a year that saw her make 10 starts, hitting the board each time with four wins, five seconds and a third.