Hot Stay Hot at Ruidoso Sunday: Wood Wins Derby, East Wing Rules In Futurity
RUIDOSO DOWNS, New Mexico (June 14, 2009) – The Blane Wood barn kept the heat on Sunday at Ruidoso Downs when Skyline Lover rallied in Grade 3, $50,000 Bayer Legend New Mexico Derby Challenge.
Then in the Grade 2, $183,000 Ruidoso Quarter Horse Sale Futurity for New Mexico-breds, East Wing scored a mild upset while racing to his third straight victory.
The Wood stable also finished second and third in the Grade 1, $500,000 Ruidoso Futurity with Shake Em Money Pop and Sir Seth, and had three qualifiers to the Grade 1, $308,000 Ruidoso Derby.
Ridden by Ricky Ramirez, Skyline Lover raced the 400 yards in :19.943 to win by an expanding neck. Early leader Fly Miss Corona secured second by holding off Dashinski by a head.
The Feature Mr Jess-sired Skyline Lover took a few jumps to find his full stride from the outside post position. He collared Fly Miss Corona in the last 50 yards to push his record to three wins and three second-place runs in his latest six starts. His two prior wins during this stretch came in conditioned allowance races.
Runner-up Fly Miss Corona, owned by Rom Hanna and Ed Johnson Jr., looked like a winner 100 yards from the wire before giving way to Skyline Lover’s late charge. She showed promise when she set the fastest-qualifying time of :19.885 in the trials to the Bayer Legend New Mexico Derby Challenge.
Following Dashinski under the wire Jesstifiable, Buildemhigh, Anywhere Bully, Take The Mountain, Makeminecaine and Wicked Seis.
Trained by Roberto Sanchez for SM Cattle Export Company, East Wing covered the 350 yards in :17.900 to win by a head over Southernrunaway. It was three quarters of a length back to third-place finisher Gen Flyer.
A gelded son of Deferred Sentence purchased for $6,000 at the Ruidoso Yearling Sale, East Wing started his winning streak when he prevailed by a neck in a SunRay Park maiden race. He then won his trial to the Ruidoso Horse Sale Futurity by one-half length to earn his berth in the futurity finals.
Following third-place finisher Gen Flyer under the wire were Copy Em Chick, Zackaman, Blazin Hot Wings, Niftys Royal Flush, Corona Two Step, First Corona Call and Slide On Hand.
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