ALBUQUERQUE – The top two finishers in last month’s Rainbow Futurity will race side by side again on Friday at Albuquerque Downs. This event is part of two days of trial races for Grade 1, which is a $3 million All-American Futurity.
Hezgothelook Z, winner of both the Rainbow and Ruidoso Futurity, is the 5-2 morning line favorite in Friday’s third race.
This 440-yard trial is for the world’s richest quarter horse race held exclusively for 2-year-olds. Hezgothelook Z, an Oklahoma-bred son of Favorite Cartel, will be ridden by his regular jockey, Bryan Candanosa.
Owned by Triple One Ranch, LLC, and trained by Toby Keeton, Hezgothelook Z drew the rail in the third race, one of 14 trials on Friday.
On Saturday, 14 more trials will be held. The five fastest qualifiers from each day will automatically enter the All-American Futurity, which will run on Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 2.
Hezgothelook Z has won four of his five career starts, earning over $852,000. He aims to become only the second Triple Crown winner in quarter horse racing history.
Special Effort is the sport’s only Triple Crown winner, having captured the Ruidoso, Rainbow, and All-American Futurity in 1981.
Fdd Dreams, who finished second in the Rainbow Futurity, drew the two posts in the same trial heat. Luis Martinez will ride him again.
Trained by Xavier Rodriguez and owned by La Feliz Montana Ranch, LLC, Fdd Dreams is the 7-2 second choice in the race, scheduled to start at 12:50 p.m.
Fdd Dreams was more than a length behind Hezgothelook Z in the Rainbow Futurity. A three-time winner from five starts, Fdd Dreams, a New Mexico-bred son of Fdd Dynasty, is still seeking his first stakes win.
For the first time in the 66-year history of the All-American Futurity, the race will take place at Albuquerque Downs.
Flood damages caused by monsoon storms forced Ruidoso Downs to close its racing season. Destructive flooding in and around Ruidoso followed devastating forest fires, leaving the venue seriously damaged.
Ruidoso Downs general manager Rick Baugh announced the decision to move the remaining race dates of their current season to Albuquerque on July 21.
Although the track was spared by the fires, “burn scars” allowed water and debris to flow down the Rio Ruidoso, which runs through the middle of the racetrack and barn area.
According to the source, a total of 264 horses will compete in the 28 trial races over the weekend for the All-American Futurity.
Headlining Saturday’s trials are two graded stakes winners, Kempton and Painted Eclipse, both of whom drew into the tenth race on the card with a scheduled post time of 3:45 p.m.
Kempton, trained by James J. Gonzales II for Ozaca Ranch LLC, will make his local debut after a perfect 3-for-3 campaign at Remington Park in Oklahoma.
The son of Kiss My Hocks scored a wire-to-wire victory in the $1 million Heritage Place Futurity on June 1. Kempton will be ridden by James Flores and drew the outside post in the 10-horse field.
Sunday’s card at Albuquerque Downs will consist of trials for the All-American Oaks and All-American Derby for 3-year-old quarter horses.
A total of 39 fillies will battle for ten spots in the starting gate for the Oaks, which will be run on Sunday, Sept. 1, with a purse of $500,000.
Running To The Moon, winner of the Rainbow Oaks on July 28 at Albuquerque Downs, is the 2-1 morning line favorite in Sunday’s second race.
This is the first of four trials held at a distance of 440 yards for the Oaks. Dashing Tres, winner of the Rainbow Derby, is the 2-1 morning line favorite in Sunday’s ninth race.
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This will be the fifth of eight trials for the $700,000 All-American Derby, also scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 1.
Post times for the Friday and Saturday cards are noon, with a 12:30 p.m. start time on Sunday. For more information, check out official entries and more at equibase.com.