FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Ruidoso
Select Yearling Sale Graduates score in Rainbow Derby trials
RUIDOSO DOWNS, New Mexico (July 3, 2009) – Ruidoso Derby winner Time For A Cigar
could be ready for another Grade 1 win after narrowly missing setting the
fastest-qualifying time to the Grade 1, $480,857 Rainbow Derby on Friday
afternoon at Ruidoso Downs
The Mark Villa-ridden Time For A Cigar raced the 440 yards in :21.138 to just
miss the top time of :21.134 set by All American Futurity finalist Calif
Fugitive in the first of four trials.
Time For A Cigar won the second trial by an expanding one length for his fourth
straight win for Mark Allen’s Double Eagle Ranch. They also own fourth-fastest
qualifier Shaboomator, who won the third trial. He was second in the Ruidoso
Derby.
Time For A Cigar and Shaboomator are each trained by Tony Sedillo.
Time For A Cigar broke with his rivals, but then powered away to his fourth win
from seven career starts while enjoying the 440-yard distance.
“He’s doing really well,” said Allen, who co-owns Kentucky Derby winner Mine
That Bird with Dr. Leonard Blach. “I just wish that he would step away from the
gate a little quicker. He really runs on the end.”
A $40,000 Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale purchase, Time For A Cigar started his
winning streak on February 27 with a maiden win at Sunland Park. After taking
his Ruidoso Derby trial, he won the $308,000 derby finals by an expanding
one-and-one-half lengths.
Trainer Carl Draper sent our four Rainbow Derby qualifiers, headed by fastest
qualifier Calif Fugitive, who was a $70,000 Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale
purchase by J&L Stables and Fredda Draper.
The gelding crossed the finish line in fourth place in last labor Day’s All
American Futurity and was fourth in his Ruidoso Derby trial as the 13-10
favorite. He rebounded to win his Rainbow Derby trial by one-half length over
third-fastest qualifier Kool Cade while fifth-fastest qualifier Winners Version
finished in third place.
Draper also qualified 2008 Ruidoso Futurity winner Jess Significant,
ninth-fastest qualifier Pepper Perry and 10th-fastest qualifier Misty Blue
Mercedes, winner of the fourth trial.
Champion trainer Paul Jones placed three horses in the Rainbow Derby – Winners
Version, Inseperable and Royal Proclamation.
Winner Version qualified for his sixth Grade 1 stakes, Inseperable was third in
the 2008 Rainbow Futurity and Royal Proclamation came off a win in the Grade 1,
$192,000 El Primero Del Ano Derby at Los Alamitos Race Course. Jones sent our
four qualifiers to the Grade 1, $625,000 Rainbow Futurity from Thursday’s 20
trials.
Rainbow Derby Qualifiers
Horse/Trial # Trainer Jockey Wind Time
Calif Fugitive/1 Carl Draper Oscar Hernandez 2t 21.134
Time for a Cigar/2 Tony Sedillo Mark A Villa 2t 21.138
Kool Cade/1 Ralph Muniz Oscar Rincon 2t 21.212
Shaboomator/3 Tony Sedillo Chris Zamora 7t 21.258
Winners Version/1 Paul Jones Cody Jensen 2t 21.260
Inseperable/3 Paul Jones Cody Jensen 7t 21.274
Jess Significant/2 Carl Draper Oscar Hernandez 2t 21.300
Royal Proclamation/2 Paul Jones Ramon Sanchez 2t 21.302
Pepper Perry/3 Carl Draper Oscar Hernandez 7t 21.349
Misty Blue Mercedes/4 Carl Draper Oscar Hernandez 16c 21.367