Photo/Story  by Ty Wyant

Record-Setting Ruidoso Derby Field To Be Set On Saturday at Ruidoso Downs

RUIDOSO DOWNS, NM (May 23, 2011) – Champion American Runaway makes his 3-year-old debut on Saturday at Ruidoso Downs when he attempts to qualify for the Grade 1, $702,648 Ruidoso Derby, the all-time richest running of the 400-yard event.

The previous Ruidoso Derby record purse of $569,143 was established last year and the 2009 purse was $308,267. Therefore, the Ruidoso Derby purse has grown $394,381 in just two runnings. Last summer, the Rainbow Derby and the All American Derby, the two other Grade 1 derbies at Ruidoso Downs, had all-time record purses.

The horses with the 10-fastest times from the Ruidoso Derby trials qualify to race in the Ruidoso Derby on June 11 for the first-place check of $351,324, which is more than the entire 2009 purse.

The seven Ruidoso Derby trials will be the first seven races on Saturday’s card. First post time is 1 p.m. with free parking and free general admission.

American Runaway makes his seasonal debut after earning the champion 2-year-old and champion 2-year-old colt titles through a consistent campaign highlighted by his victory in the Grade 1, $500,000 Ruidoso Futurity. The Ocean Runaway son was also second by a nose in the Grade 1 Rainbow Futurity, second by a nose in the Grade 1 Heritage Place Futurity and second by a head in the Grade 1 Texas Classic Futurity.

In the 2010 Ruidoso Futurity, the Paul Jones-trained American Runaway moved to the top of the juvenile division with a dominating one-and-one-quarter length score and he maintained his top ranking throughout the year.

That Ruidoso Futurity victory also attracted the attention of prominent owner and breeder Bobby Cox, who purchased one-half interest in the colt from Sammy and Johnny Martinez.

“He’s doing awesome,” said Lisa Saumell, who oversees the Jones training operation in Mew Mexico.

“He rested all winter and spent about a month and a half with Sammy (Martinez). That was nice because it might be the last chance that Sammy will be around him every day. He galloped when Sammy had him and he came here (Ruidoso Downs) the day after we moved the horses in.” Sammy Martinez trained American Runaway to his second-place finish in the Remington Park Futurity before he joined the Jones barn for last summer’s Ruidoso Downs season.

American Runaway drew the sixth post position in the sixth race and will have G.R. Carter Jr. aboard for the first time.

The second and the fourth trials each have fields that could be a graded stakes race.

In the second division, Llano Teller, who defeated American Runaway in the Remington Park Futurity, meets All American Futurity third-place finisher Dominyun.

Owned by Wootan Racing with Reed Land and Cattle Company, Llano Teller makes his sophomore debut after following his Remington Park Futurity win with a close third in the Grade 1 Heritage Place Futurity, a seventh-place finish in the Rainbow Futurity and a fourth-place finish in the Texas Classic Futurity.

The Cox homebred Dominyun, came within a head of winning the Grade 1, $2,000,000 All American Futurity and settled for third-place in the second closest finish in the iconic race’s 52-year history. The Mr Jess Perry son followed with a third-place finish in the Grade 1 Dash For Cash Futurity at Lone Star Park as part of the odds-on favored entry.

In the fourth trial, futurity and derby winner Prospect To The Top meets Rainbow Futurity winner Hes Too Icy For Me and West Texas Futurity winner No Dice Special.

Joel Tavarez’s Prospect To The Top qualified for last summer’s All American Futurity and then stepped up with a win in the Grade 2 Hobbs America Futurity and a third-place finish in the Grade 1 Southwest Juvenile Championship at Zia Park. He has maintained winning form this year for trainer Ralph Muniz with a victory in the Grade 2 West Texas Derby in his latest effort.

Delores and Robert Gerhardt’s Hes Too Icy For Me, trained by Carlos Sedillo, raced to the nose decision over American Runaway in the Rainbow Futurity, but has yet to finish on the board this year after racing in a pair of allowance races at Sunland Park.

The John Stinebaugh-trained No Dice Special won the 2010 West Texas Futurity at Sunland Park and then was out of action for nine months after racing in the Ruidoso Futurity. He returned for the West Texas Derby trials in March and finished in sixth place.

May 28, 2011 Overnight