The 23rd running of the Grade 1, 400-yard Ruidoso Derby will take place Saturday, June 11, at Ruidoso Downs with a purse of $1,098,631 and a winner’s share of $461,425 on the line.
This is the all-time largest purse for a Ruidoso Derby.
The field will include:
First post position
BRIMMIES WAGON, a son of Pyc Paint Your Wagon and Brimmies Alli Bi B; ninth-fastest qualifier to the 400-yard Ruidoso Derby, :19.863; second in the 14th of 14 Ruidoso Derby trials behind Big Lew; qualified for the $307,000 Remington Park Oklahoma-bred Derby; dam is restricted Grade 1 winner; owned by Valeriano Racing Stables, LLC, of Odessa, Texas; bred by Michael Pohl; trained by Toby Keeton; ridden by Francisco Raul Ramirez Jr.
Second post position
SIGNIFICANT RUNNER, a daughter of Foose and Jess Significant; fourth-fastest qualifier to the 400-yard Ruidoso Derby, :19.736; third in the 13th of 14 trials to the Ruidoso Derby behind Always Ur Last Call and Famous War Eagle; won her trials to the Ruidoso, Rainbow and All American futurities; dam is Ruidoso Futurity winner Jess Significant, dam of 2014 champion aged mare Significant Heart; owned and bred by La Feliz Montana Ranch of North Las Vegas, Nev.; trained by Joel Valeriano, Jr.; ridden by Raul Herrera
Third post position
ALWAYS UR LAST CALL, a gelded son of Tempting Dash and Sixydeperry; second-fastest qualifier to the 400-yard Ruidoso Derby, :19.629; winner of the 13th of 14 Ruidoso Derby trials by one-half length; undefeated in two 2016 starts; dam is a half-sister Grade 1 winner Sixy Thru Traffic; owned by Adame Racing of South Houston, Texas; bred by Tyler Graham; trained by Mario Sanchez; ridden by Cesar Gomez
Fourth post position
VOLCOM BAY, a daughter of Volcom and Miss Lethal; fastest qualifier to the 400-yard Ruidoso Derby, :19.618; first in the fifth of 14 Ruidoso Derby trials by two-and-one-half lengths; second in $93,000 Texas Classic Juvenile; half-brother to stakes winner Lethal Delight, dam of All American Futurity winner Jm Miracle; owned by Bennie and E. Teresa Jeter of Alvarado, Texas; bred by P.K. Thomas; trained by Judd Kearl; ridden by Rodrigo Sigala Vallejo
Fifth post position
BIG LEW, a son of Corona Cartel and Executive Looks; a $150,000 Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale graduate; eighth-fastest qualifier to the 400-yard Ruidoso Derby, :19.854; winner of the 14th of 14 trials to the Ruidoso Derby by a nose; second in the Oklahoma Futurity by a nose and qualified for Oklahoma Derby; dam is a Grade 1 winner; owned by Reliance Ranches of Guthrie, Okla.; bred by McColee Land and Livestock; trained by Eddie D. Willis; ridden by Jimmy Dean Brooks
Sixth post position
JM DISCO REY, a gelding by Spit Curl Jess and out of Disco Del Rey; a $30,000 Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale graduate; sixth-fastest qualifier to the 400-yard Ruidoso Derby, :19.818; winner of the eighth of 14 Ruidoso Derby by a head; winner of three of his latest four starts; half-brother to stakes winner and track record setter Jess Jones; owned by J&M Racing and Farm of Monahans, Texas; bred by Fred Stanley; trained by Albert Franco; ridden by Sergio Becerra Jr.
Seventh post position
APOLLITICAL OK, a gelded son of Apollitical Jess and Taka Puna; a $15,000 Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale graduate; seventh-fastest qualifier to the 400-yard Ruidoso Derby, :19.836; second in the eighth of 14 Ruidoso Derby trials behind Jm Disco Rey; qualified for the Hobbs America Futurity; half-brother to graded stakes winners Takiana Romanova and Mr Taka B; owned by J. Oscar Dominquez and Joel Martinez of Midland, Texas; bred by James and Marilyn Helzer; trained by Joel Valeriano Jr.; ridden by Adrian A. Ramos
Eighth post position
HATEFULIST, a son of Separatist and Hardly Hateful; a $24,000 Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale graduate; 10th-fastest qualifier to the 400-yard Ruidoso Derby, :19.871; third in the 14th of 14 Ruidoso Derby trials behind Big Lew and Brimmies Wagon; qualified for the All American Futurity; winner of four of six starts; dam is champion and second dam is a champion; owned by James Markum and Steve Burns on Menifee, Calif.; bred by Vessels Stallion Farm; trained by Paul Jones; ridden by L. Salvador Martinez
Ninth post position
FAMOUS WAR EAGLE, a gelded son of One Famous Eagle and Eye For The Sixes; third-fastest qualifier to the 400-yard Ruidoso Derby, :19.715; second in the 13th of 14 Ruidoso Derby trials behind Always Ur Last Call; won his maiden three starts ago and has four outs; half-brother to two-time Grade 1 winner and millionaire Eye For Corona; dam Eye For The Sixes placed in Rainbow Derby; owned and bred by Johnny Trotter of Hereford, Texas; trained by Blane Wood; ridden by Ricky Ramirez
10th post position
JESS GOOD CANDY, a colt by Good Reason Sa and out of Jess Send Candy; fifth-fastest qualifier to the 400-yard Ruidoso Derby, :19.784; winner of the 10th of 14 Ruidoso Derby trials by one-and-one-quarter lengths; won the Grade 1, $3 million All American Futurity and $70,000 Mr Master Bug Handicap; 2015 champion 2-year-old and champion 2-year-old colt; half-brother to stakes winners This Candys Awesome and Send Me This Wagon; owned by PV Quarter Horse Farms LLC of Ratliff City, Oklahoma; bred by Carl C. Pevehouse; trained by Clinton Crawford; ridden by Ivan Carnero
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The undefeated champion and All American Futurity winner Jess Good Candy in the Ruidoso Derby and Preakness Stakes winner Exaggerator in the simulcast of the Grade 1, $1.5 million Belmont Stakes will provide an enticing doubleheader at Ruidoso Downs Saturday.
First post time for racing at Ruidoso Downs is 1 p.m. with free parking and free general admission.
Also on Saturday’s Ruidoso Downs’ program is the $100,000 Mr Jess Perry with preference given to horses who did not qualify for the Ruidoso Derby. The $100,000 Mr Jess Perry, for horses that did not qualify for the Ruidoso Derby, attracted a competitive field. Boogies Special Dash and Memphis D Nasty each came off long layoffs to win their Ruidoso Derby trials.
The entire program from Belmont Park will be simulcast with a 9:35 a.m. (MDT) first post time. Guests may also wager on the Saturday Belmont program on Friday at Ruidoso Downs.
