(Top) Jess Hi Maintenance, the number-one horse in the first training race, steps onto the Ruidoso Downs track. (Bottom) Big Daddy Cartel wins the first training race ever held at Ruidoso Downs. - Ty Wyant photos

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First Training Races Held Monday at Ruidoso Downs

RUIDOSO DOWNS, NM - May 9, 2011 – The first training races ever at Ruidoso Downs started on Monday morning with Big Daddy Cartel winning the first race.

Owned by Poker Ranch, Big Daddy Cartel covered the 330 yards in :16.106 while facing a strong headwind. The son of Corona Cartel is trained by Paul Jones and Esgar Ramirez was aboard.

Monday’s training races are the first of three days of training races for 2-year-old quarter horses at Ruidoso Downs. They continue on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings at 9:30 a.m. There will be 13 training races on Tuesday and 12 training races on Wednesday.

Big Daddy Cartel, a $113,000 Heritage Place Yearling Sale purchase, could make his first start in the trials to the Grade 1, $500,000 Ruidoso Futurity on May 27 at Ruidoso Downs. The Ruidoso Futurity trials comprise the opening day program at Ruidoso Downs.

The summer season concludes on Labor Day with the running of the Grade 1, $2,400,000 All American Futurity, the world’s richest quarter horse race. Day 1 Results / Day 2 Results