Champ Time For A Cigar In Monday Feature at Ruidoso Downs

RUIDOSO DOWNS, New Mexico (June 3, 2011) – Mark Allen’s classy Time For A Cigar, winner of the 2009 Ruidoso Derby, makes his summer debut with the probability of moving up to the stakes division in his following start when he appears in the $13,800 fifth race on Monday afternoon at Ruidoso Downs.

First post time for the 10-race card that will also be featured on the TVG television network is 1 p.m. There is always free parking and free general admission at Ruidoso Downs.

Time For a Cigar raced to dominating one-and-one-half length win over stable mate Shaboomator in the 2009 Grade 1 Ruidoso Derby and returned to finish second behind champion Inseperable in the Grade Rainbow Derby, each at Ruidoso Downs. The Tony Sedillo-trained gelding wrapped up his sophomore campaign with a win in the Grade 2 Sunland Winter Derby and was honored as the champion 3-year-old gelding.

The gelding wrapped by his 2010 in top-tier stakes fashion with a win in the Grade 3 Bank of America Turf Paradise Challenge, a fourth in the Grade 1 Bank Of America Challenge Championship and a fifth in the Grade 1 The Championship at Sunland Park.

Time For A Cigar drew the seven post position and will have the services of Adrian Ramos for the first time.

Trainer Carl Draper sends out the air of Lola Willis and Sheryl Cox’s Pilgrim Wayne Genuine American, owned by J&L Stables with Fredda Draper.

Stakes winner Pilgrim Wayne has finished on the board in 13 of 22 starts and comes off a pair of third-place runs at Sunland Park.

Genuine American was a close second in his most recent start and has won or placed in two stakes races.

After Monday’s program, racing resumes on Friday at Ruidoso Downs. The first big grade 1 weekend is next week with the all-time richest running of the Grade 1, $702,000 Ruidoso Derby and the Grade 1 $500,000 Ruidoso Futurity, the first leg of the All American Triple Crown.

If any horse can win the Ruidoso, Rainbow and All American futurities at Ruidoso Downs then that horse’s connections take the $4,000,000 All American Triple Crown bonus, the richest in quarter horse racing.