four Ruidoso Sale graduates qualify - Love Samba Sets Fastest Time To Record-Setting Rainbow Derby
RUIDOSO DOWNS, New Mexico (July 9, 2010) – Jim Pitts’ Love Samba has the
opportunity to live up to Grade 1-stakes winning expectations as the fastest
qualifier to the record-setting Grade 1, $873,441 Rainbow Derby on Friday
afternoon at Ruidoso Downs.
The $873,441 purse easily surpasses the previous record purse of $567,167 set in
1982. Last year’s Rainbow Derby purse was $480,857. This year’s winner will
receive $436,720.
The horses with the 10-fastest times return for the record-setting Rainbow Derby
on July 24.
Love Samba won the second of five trials by a neck over Smokey Stone and they
set the top-two qualifying marks. Love Samba was timed in :20.996 for 440 yards
while Smokey Stone was clocked in:21.034.
Those two horses hooked up in a side-by-side duel for most of the quarter mile
with Love Samba prevailing at the wire.
A $160,000 purchase in the Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale, Love Samba finished
fourth in the 2009 Rainbow Futurity after a gate mishap and fifth in the All
American Futurity as the 19-10 favorite. She has earned $136,625 from six
starts, but has yet to take the rich first-place check and get the valuable
Grade 1 victory.
“She needs to get a check. It’s time for her to step up and get it done,” said
trainer Blane Wood, who added that his son Trey handles the training on the
elegant daughter of Corona Cartel. “I just have my name in the program as the
trainer.”
Favorite Cartel finished third behind Love Samba and Smokey Stone with the
fifth-fastest qualifying time of :21.186.
Favorite Cartel won an allowance race in his previous start. Last year, he was
the third-place finisher in the Rainbow Futurity and the fourth-place runner in
the All American Futurity.
Streakin Down won the third trial with the third-fastest time of :21.087 while
First Klas Fred was second with the fourth-fastest time of :21.159.
Ed Melzer’s Streakin Down came off a win in the Heritage Place Derby at
Remington Park.
Denis and Julie Schoenhofer’s First Klas Fred won the 2009 Ruidoso Futurity and
then the Hobbs America Futurity at Zia Park for trainer Mike Joiner.
The Rainbow Derby qualifiers are Love
Samba (:20.996), Smokey Stone
(:21.034), Streakin Down (:21.087), First Klas Fred (:21.159), Favorite
Cartel (:21.186), Swingin Daddyo (:21.197), Plain Azoom (:21.201), Sir Seth
(:21.224), Jess So Sixy (21.226)
and Hoponthewagon (:21.294).