Llano Teller Back After Ruidoso Derby Win In Rainbow Derby Trials on Saturday at Ruidoso

RUIDOSO DOWNS, New Mexico (July 4, 2011) – Llano Teller was voted quarter horse racing’s top three-year-old after his Ruidoso Derby win on June 11 and tries to build on that breakout victory when he starts in the trials to the record-setting Grade 1, $899,523 Rainbow Derby on Saturday afternoon at Ruidoso Downs.

The nearly $900,000 purse surpasses the previous record purse of $873,441 set last year when the quarter-mile fixture was won by Swingin Daddyo. This year there are 65 Rainbow Derby trial entries, including two supplemental nominees, while last year there were 47 Rainbow Derby trial entrants, including one supplemental nominee.

The horses with the 10-fastest qualifying times from the 440-yard trials gain eligibility to compete in the Rainbow Derby on July 23.

First post time is 1 p.m. and the seven Rainbow Derby trials run as the third through the ninth races.

Owned by Reed Land And Cattle Company with Wootan Racing, Llano Teller is the number-three ranked three-year-old-and-older horse in the weekly AQHA/Horseplayernow.com national poll and the two horses ahead of him in the rankings – Rylees Boy and Louisiana Senator – are each older horses.

The Heath Reed-trained Llano Teller returned from a six-month layoff for the Ruidoso Downs season and started his 2011 campaign with a one-half length win in his Ruidoso Derby trial on May 28. He stepped up with his second career grade 1 win when he won the Ruidoso Derby by a neck over Dominyun with a :19.55 time for the 400 yards while facing a stiff headwind.

The son of All American Futurity winner Teller Cartel scored his first Grade 1 win when he won last year’s Remington Park Futurity by a nose over American Runaway. Llano Teller then went on to finish a close third in the Heritage Place Futurity, fourth in the Texas Classic Futurity and seventh in the Rainbow Futurity.

Regular rider G.R. Carter Jr. rides Llano Teller with the fifth post position in the fifth trial, run as the seventh race.
The first trial, the third race, shapes up as a grade 1-class confrontation between the two of the three 2010 champions in the two-year-old division, American Runaway and JLS Mr Bigtime, plus Grade 1, $300,000 Southwest Juvenile Championship winner Cold Cash 123 and $40,000 supplemental nominee First Down Master.

American Runaway, owned by Johnny and Sammy Martinez with Bobby Cox, returns in the Rainbow Derby trials after a trouble-laden run in his Ruidoso Derby trial as the 1-5 favorite. The 2010 champion two-year-old endured bumping start, lost his path and then finished in fourth place.

The Paul Jones-trained American Runaway, a son of Ocean Runaway, earned his championship title through a consistent grade 1 futurity campaign. After his second place run behind Llano Teller in the Remington Park Futurity, the colt won the Ruidoso Futurity by daylight and then raced to close second-place finishes in the Rainbow Futurity and the Texas Classic Futurity.

Carter Jr., who was up in the Ruidoso Derby trial, will be aboard with the fifth post position.

The JLS Speedhorse Ranch’s JLS Mr Bigtime earned the 2010 champion two-year-old gelding title on the strength of racing to the fastest-qualifying time to the Grade 1, $2-million All American Futurity and finishing second by a scant nose in the All American Futurity as the 2-1 favorite. The Darrel Soileau-trained gelding then rolled to a convincing daylight win in the $527,000 LQHBA Futurity at Delta Downs.

JLS Mr Bigtime prepared for his Ruidoso Downs campaign this summer with a win in the $134,000 Delta Downs Derby, his fourth straight win and he has been the strong odds-on favorite in each race.

Jacky Martin rode JLS Mr Bigtime for the last time in the All American Futurity on Labor Day and he climbs aboard with the fourth post position, next to American Runaway.

T. Bill Stables’ homebred Cold Cash 123 is the only horse in recent memory to win three races at 440 yards as a two-year-old. The Sleepy Gilbreath-trained gelding won his All American Futurity trial, the $150,000 All American Juvenile and then stepped up to take the Southwest Juvenile Championship, all at 440 yards.

Roy Baldillez rides Cold Cash 123 with the ninth post position.

The 21 Partnership’s First Down Master, a $40,000 supplemental nominee, makes a huge class jump after winning a maiden race in his ninth career start on May 30 at Ruidoso Downs. He won his maiden by two lengths with a time of :17.628 for 350 yards while running into a very strong headwind.

First Down Master has the second post position and Antonio Escareno is aboard.

The other supplemental nominee, Giorgino, races in the seventh trial, the ninth race. The Jorge Haddad-homebred was the fastest qualifier to the Ruidoso Derby and then finished fourth in the derby after a troubled trip at 5-2 odds.

The John Stinebaugh-trained Giorgino, winner of seven of 12 starts, took last year’s TQHA Sires Cup Futurity at Sam Houston Race Park and the Sunland Winter Futurity at Sunland Park.

Martin rides Giorgino with the fourth post position.

Bobby Cox’s homebred Dominyun, the second-place finisher in the Ruidoso Derby, heads the third trial, the fifth race. He fought with Llano Teller, but fell a game neck short at the finish line.

The John Buchanan-trained colt had a history of close defeats last year. He was third in the All American Futurity, just a head behind winner Mr Piloto, and third in the Grade 1, $463,000 Dash For Cash Futurity by one-half length.
Russell Hadley pilots Dominyun with the ninth post position.