07/22/2018..RUIDOSO DOWNS, New Mexico  — Mark and Annette McCloy’s homebred Mm Fourinthemorning accelerated on the outside of the Ruidoso Downs’ straightaway to run away with the Grade 1, $1,000,000 Rainbow Futurity and firmly establish himself as one of the favorites for the Grade 1, $3,000,000 All American Futurity on Labor Day.
The 440-yard All American Futurity trials will be on August 17-18 and the horses with the five-fastest times on each day qualify for the quarter horse race with the largest purse.
Mm Fourinthemorning finished an expanding three quarters of a length ahead of Lethal Lil. Third-place finisher Flying Cowboy 123 was three quarters of a length behind Lethal Lil.
The Ricky Ramirez-ridden Mm Fourinthemorning covered the 400 yards in :19.537.
A gelding by Mr Jess Perry, Mm Fourinthemorning is developing at the right time for trainer Blane Wood.
“He looked good right there, didn’t he?” said Wood before entering the packed winner’s circle.”
Wood had planned throughout the year to have his prime two-year-olds peaking around All American time. Mm Fourinthemorning fits that profile.
Mm Fourinthemorning was seventh and never close when he made his career debut in the Ruidoso Futurity trials. “He was too inexperienced for the Ruidoso (Futurity trials). So we worked with him in the gate. He was green, but he had outworked everything at the ranch.”
Ramirez qualified three horses for the Rainbow Futurity trained by Wood and decided to ride Mm Fourinthemorning.
“I was hoping he would overcome being green,” said Ramirez. “He was little green, but he really came on.”
La Felix Montana Ranch, LLC’s Lethal Lil ran a solid race for trainer Joel Valeriano, Jr. The Jose Amador Alvarez-ridden filly was in the midst of the battle before Mm Fourinthemorning made his late run past her.
The Corona Cartel-sired filly won her Rainbow Futurity trial by one-and-one-quarter lengths and had qualified for the West Texas Futurity.
Paragon Farms’ Flying Cowboy 123, a $100,000 Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale purchase, is also trained by Wood. The half-brother to 2011 world champion Cold Cash 123 was eighth in his Ruidoso Futurity trial and — like Mm Fourinthemorning — stepped forward with a one-and-three-quarter-length win in his Rainbow Futurity trial.
Raul Ramirez Jr. rode Flying Cowboy 123 after Ricky Ramirez was aboard for the impressive trial win.
Joe Rios’ Suze Returns, the 6-5 favorite, had a horrid start and never found her stride.
In the $100,000 Rainbow Juvenile, for horses who did not qualify for the Rainbow Futurity, J & SM’s Rustys Miracle battled to a one-half length win over Symbol Of Faith and it was another nose back to third-place runner Eagles First.
Rustys Miracle showed her tenacity by holding on for the narrow win in :19.692 for the 400 yards. The Fred Danley-trained daughter of Valiant Hero was sixth in the $100,000 Ruidoso Juvenile and then won her Rainbow Futurity trial by one length. Sergio Becerra, Jr. has ridden her in her latest four starts and returned with three wins.
J. Garvin Kelly, Nancy Yearsley and Lloyd Yother’s homebred Symbol Of Faith finished a challenging second. The Tac It Like A Man-sired filly was fifth in the Grade 1, $1,025,000 Heritage Place Futurity at Remington Park. She then came to Ruidoso Downs and won her Rainbow Futurity trial by a nose with a late rush.
James Flores rode Symbol Of Faith for trainer Juan Aleman.
SST Racing’s Eagles First came off a one-half length win in his Rainbow Futurity trial. That was his second career start after finishing well back in seventh place in his debut. The One Famous Eagle daughter is trained by Wood and was ridden by G.R. Carter Jr. for the first time.