RUIDOSO – Trainer Todd Fincher continues to dominate the results at the current racing season at Ruidoso Downs, scoring an impressive 1-2-3 finish in Sunday’s $118,039 Rio Grande Senor Thoroughbred Futurity with Community Leader earning his fourth consecutive victory.
Meantime, trainer Dallas Barton picked up a stakes winner as well on Sunday, sending out Mark It Down to an impressive score in the $112,992 Rio Grande Senorita Thoroughbred Futurity under jockey Oscar Ceballos.
Fincher, who is running away with the title of leading thoroughbred trainer at the current season at Ruidoso Downs, has saddled 22 winners, nine clear of Martin Valdez-Cabral, Jr.
Community Leader, who ran his record to a perfect 4-for-4 with a win in the Rio Grande Senor Thoroughbred Futurity, had little trouble dispensing of his six rivals in the 5½ furlong contest.
Under jockey Felipe Valdez, Community Leader was engaged in a pace battle with stablemate Higher Ed and jockey Christian Ramos to the top of the lane before the son of Diabolical edged clear inside the final furlong to win by 3¼ lengths. Community Leader stopped the clock in a time of 1 minute, 6.96 seconds.
Owned and bred by J. Kirk and Judy Robison, Community Leader earned more than $59,000 with his win Sunday, increasing his career earnings to $135,000. In addition to his win in the Rio Grande Senor, Community Leader also owns a win in the Mountain Top Futurity at Ruidoso Downs on June 25.
Sent off as the odds-on favorite in the Rio Grande Senor, Community Leader paid back $3.20 to his winning backers. The $2 exacta with Higher Ed came back $6.40. Fincher also saddled third-place finisher Aaron Who, while J M Big Boy rounded out the top four finishers.
Mike H. Carson and Bill Carson’s Mark It Down earned the first stakes win of her career Sunday afternoon when she raced to a 1¾ length score in the $112,992 Rio Grande Senorita Thoroughbred Futurity under Oscar Ceballos.
The daughter of Marking, bred in New Mexico by Bill Carson, Mike Carson & Leach Racing LLC, raced on the lead from the outset of the 5½ furlong contest, then held off a challenge inside the final furlong from a rallying Make Up a Story before crossing the wire in front, earning her second win from three career starts and stopping the clock with a time of 1 minute, 6.5 seconds.
Mark It Down broke her maiden in her first career start on July 9 at Ruidoso Downs before finishing third in a trial race for the Senorita on July 21. Sunday’s win adds more than $56,000 to her bankroll, bringing her career earnings to more than $71,000.
Trainer Dallas Barton picked up his third thoroughbred training win of the season with the win from Mark It Down.
Sent off at odds of 6.60-to-1, Mark It Down paid $15.20 to her winning backers. Runner-up Make Up A Story completed the $2 exacta, which was worth $59.80. Mark The Winner finished third, with Payingoffmymarker rounding out the top four finishers.
More than 300 horses have been entered in 32 trial races this weekend at Ruidoso Downs for the $3 million All American Futurity, the third and final leg of quarter horse racing’s Triple Crown series.
Lets Leave, winner of the Ruidoso Futurity on June 11, and Dark NME, winner of the Rainbow Futurity on July 16 are among the 301 starters for the trial races which will be held on Friday and Saturday. Sixteen trials will be held each day, with the five fastest qualifiers from each day automatically entered for the world’s richest quarter horse race, which will be run on Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 4.
Trained by Eric Valenzuela for owners Barron Racing LLC and Empire Racing, Lets Leave has won three of four lifetime starts, including the Grade 1 Ruidoso Futurity. Prior to that, the California-bred son of Favorite Cartel was second in the Grade 2 West Texas Futurity at Sunland Park on April 1.
Lets Leave skipped the trials for the Rainbow Futurity and has amassed earning of more than $483,000. He has been entered in Saturday’s 15th trial heat, at a distance of 440 yards and will be ridden once again by Sergio Becerra, Jr.
On Friday, Dark NME will look to extend her lifetime unbeaten streak to six straight races when she runs in the 10th trial for trainer Santos Carrizales, Jr. and owners TYKHE Racing, LLC.
The Oklahoma-bred daughter of Hes Relentless is a two-time stakes winner and earner of more than $769,000. In addition to winning the Grade 1 Rainbow Futurity last month, she also won the Remington Park Oklahoma-bred Futurity on April 22.
In the Rainbow Futurity victory, Dark NME covered 400 yards in a time of :19.028 seconds, breaking the previous track record of :19.149 set by reigning world champion Empressum in a 2021 Ruidoso Derby trial.
Dark NME will break from post three in the trial heat under jockey Francisco Calderon and has been installed as the even-money favorite.
Trial races will be held on Sunday at Ruidoso Downs for the $700,000 All American Derby and the $300,000 All American Oaks, which will be run on Sunday, Sept. 3. First post time for this weekend’s races will be 11 a.m. Locally, fans can watch and wager on the races from Ruidoso Downs inside the simulcast theater at SunRay Park and Casino.
