Weekend Wrap-Up by Mike Ahrens: June 5 - 7, 2020

The $100,000 Ruidoso Quarter Horse Juvenile and $1,000,000 Ruidoso Quarter Horse Futurity (Grade 1) were the highlight of the weekend and of Sunday's card. Trainer Sergio Ibarra followed up a big win on Saturday in the Ruidoso Quarter Horse Derby by sending out the winners of both of Sunday's stakes races.

For the Irony, a two-year-old black colt ridden by Sergio Becerra, Jr., displayed a game effort in the Juvenile. After breaking inwardly just a bit, he hooked up with leader Spirit Valley, to his outside. Drawing even with that rival about a hundred yards out he gamely prevailed by a head. It was another half-length back to Jess Painted, who hopped and broke outwardly but finished well to just get up for third. "The 10 outbroke him by a lot. He saw him...he hooked up with him and he stayed there and he got it done," said Becerra. The colt had paid a whopping $158.20 to win in the trial two weeks ago but paid a mere $14.20 for today's win. "I knew that we were going to be there at the end," said Ibarra. "Sergio, one heck of a ride, one heck of a ride." The colt will be pointed to the Rainbow Quarter Horse Futurity next. There were some pre-race antics as Valiantt was fractious in the gate and Watch Him B Famous got loose behind the gate before being caught by the outrider.

The well-bred brown colt Cyber Monday took the Futurity by a half-length over Misscandymountain with Jettz another half-length back in third. After breaking on top, with Becerra aboard, he quickly established a clear half-length margin to Misscandymountain. The positions and margins between the top three remained the same to the wire, with those three well clear of the rest. Following the event Cyber Monday was pulled up on the turn and received a ride back to the barn area, with the explanation provided that he was tired. After beating the world's fastest two-year-old quarter horses in the world in the first leg of the triple crown, one can imagine being a bit
tired.