FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Train Rider Blues Picks Up
Pieces In Ruidoso Thoroughbred Sale Futurity
RUIDOSO DOWNS, New Mexico (June 21, 2009) – Freda McSwane’s 20-1 longshot Train Rider Blues benefitted from a blistering early pace to catch the two frontrunners and win the $160,000 Ruidoso Thoroughbred Horse Sale Futurity for New Mexico-breds on Sunday afternoon at Ruidoso Downs.
The pacesetting pair of 1-2 favorite Explosive Mine and Glory Be Mine raced through the first quarter mile in :21.43 and the opening half mile in :45.39. Those fast fractions set the two horses up to falter in the final strides and that benefitted Train Rider Blues.
Veteran jockey Carlos Rivas got Train Rider Blues rolling in the five-furlong race and they easily passed horses on the turn. Entering the stretch, Train Rider Blues looked like he had a shot to catch the frontrunners and he got the job done in the final strides, catching Glory Be Mine to win by an expanding neck. It was another one-and-a-quarter lengths back to Explosive Mine.
Train Rider Blues raced the five furlongs in :59.27 to score his first win in his third career start. He finished third, three lengths behind Explosive Mine, in their trial.
Explosive Mine was sent off as the strong favorite after easily winning his only three starts. Two starts ago he won the $120,000 Copper Top Futurity at Sunland Park and he won his Sale Futurity trial by one-half length while holding his rivals at bay.
Train Rider Blues and the other top New Mexico-bred colts now point to the $125,000 (est.) Rio Grande Senor Futurity during the $1-million Zia Festival program on July 26 at Ruidoso Downs. Trials will be held on July 11.