Jess A Chicks Takes Richest Race In Zia Festival at Ruidoso Downs

RUIDOSO DOWNS, New Mexico (July 26, 2009) – Jess A Chicks surged in the final strides to win the Grade 1, $321,451 Zia Futurity and remain undefeated from three career starts at Ruidoso Downs on Sunday afternoon.
The Zia Futurity for quarter horses was the richest race on the daylong Zia Festival program celebrating New Mexico-bred racing.
The J.R. McClintic Mooring and Mike Abraham-owned Jess A Chicks, the strongly backed 2-1 second choice in the wagering, raced the 400 yards in :19.728 with Mark Anthony Villa aboard.
“He’s possible for the All American Futurity trials,” said breeder and co-owner Abraham. “We’ll see. We’d have to supplement him; he’s not eligible.” That supplemental fee would be $50,000 to enter the trials to the Grade 1, $2 million All American Futurity trials on August 20.
First Corona Call was second by one-half length and Lucky Ladyaces finished third, another one length back.
Jess A Chicks started his career with a daylight win in a Ruidoso Downs maiden race on June 13 and then stepped up to win his Zia Futurity trial by one length as the 11-10 favorite.
Richard Shearer’s First Corona Call, trained by Blane Wood, was second behind Jess A Chicks in their Zia Futurity trial. He was ridden by Freddie Martinez.
The Emmitt Burelsmith-owned and -trained Lucky Ladyaces won her first two starts coming into the Zia Futurity. She was ridden by G.R. Carter Jr.
Here are recaps of the other nine stakes races for New Mexico-breds on the Zia Festival program.

Rio Grande Senorita Futurity - - Ruidoso Sale Graduate
Glory Be Mine benefited from a ground-saving trip to win the $125,834 Rio Grande Senorita Futurity, the richest thoroughbred stakes on the card, over a game 1-2 favorite Elvira Who.
Those two fillies came into the Senorita Futurity off dominating trial wins and provided a thrilling confrontation.
Elvira Who, making her second career start, had the lead, but drifted out slightly entering the stretch. That provided an opportunity for jockey Jorge Martin Bourdieu to push Glory Me Mine through the opening and win by one-and-a-quarter lengths. I Am Lesters Girl was six lengths behind Elvira Who for third in the field of eight freshman fillies.
The Todd Fincher-trained Glory Be Mine finished second in her first two appearances, including the $160,000 Ruidoso Thoroughbred Horse Sale Futurity. She then scored her first career victory when she dominated her Senorita Futurity trial by nearly seven lengths.
The Joel Marr-trained Elvira Who made her first career start in the Senorita Futurity trials and won by eight lengths.
I Am Lesters Girl won her Senorita Futurity trial by more than six lengths in her second start.

Rio Grande Senor Futurity - - Ruidoso Sale Graduate
Freda McSwain and Joe Walters’ Train Rider Blues, under a hustling ride from veteran Carlos Rivas, rallied along the rail to dramatically win the $109,026 Rio Grande Senor Futurity for two-year-old males.
Train Rider Blues was timed in 1:04.91 for the five-and-half furlongs.
The colt was well off the pace before beginning his rally on the turn. Entering the stretch, Rivas boldly gunned the Desert God colt through an opening on the rail. They then had pacesetter Fourteen Kt. Gold in their sights and they blew by that rival with another inside move to win by a dominating three lengths.
“He showed how much of a horse he’s going to be,” said McSwane. He could make his next start in the $140,000 New Mexico Classic Cup Juvenile Colts and Geldings Stakes during the New Mexico Cup program at Zia Park on November 8.
Fourteen Kt. Gold was second and Dinker’s finished third.
Train Rider Blues excels in stakes races. His only other career victory was a neck win in the Ruidoso Thoroughbred Horse Sale Futurity for trainer Terry Walker.

Land Of Enchantment Stakes
Joe Allen and Michael Stinson’s Fullofenergy drew away from Gulchrunssweet to take the $50,000 Land Of enchantment Stakes, the only race around two turns on the Zia Festival card.
It was the third-straight win in the Land Of Enchantment for Fullofenergy. He won the 2007 running by more than five lengths and took last year’s renewal by two-and-a-quarter lengths.
The six-year-old gelding raced the seven-and-a-half furlongs in 1:31.58 to win by an easy five-and-a-half lengths under jockey Carlos Madeira.
Gulchrunssweet was second and Spelling Bee Jones was another two-and-a-half lengths back for third in the field of older horses.
Fullofenergy is trained by Joel Marr, who also won the Lincoln Handicap with One Bad Ghost and the Road Runner Handicap with Lefty Who.

Zia Handicap
R.D. and Shaun Hubbard’s PB And Crackers got up in the final yard of 400 yards to win the Grade 2, $50,000 Zia Handicap for quarter horses.
Making his first career start against state-bred competition and older horses, the three-year-old PB And Crackers won by a scant nose over Pilgrim Wayne. Me Chickie was just another nose back for third in the very tight finish.
Cody Jensen rode PB And Crackers for the first time for trainer Paul Jones.
A gelded son of The Down Side, PB And Crackers made is second 2009 start after winning the 2008 Ruidoso Juvenile and finished second in the Grade 1, $625,000 Rainbow Futurity. In his 2009 debut he was sixth in his Ruidoso Derby trial after a very tardy start.
PB And Crackers will probably make his next start in the 440-yard trials to the Grade 1 All American Derby on August 21 at Ruidoso Downs.

Road Runner Handicap
Jockey Carlos Madeira skillfully guided Sam Stevens’ homebred Lefty Who through a cooling summer shower to win the $50,000 Road Runner Handicap for three-year-old males over five-and-a-half furlongs.
The Joel Marr-trained gelding raced the distance in 1:03.27 for his seventh win from nine starts. He was second in his other two outs. It was the sixth stakes win for Lefty Who, winner of last year’s Rio Grande Senor Futurity by nearly six lengths.
Lefty Who broke in the second flight of horses from the inside post position. Madeira patiently kept him on the rail, waiting for a hole to open. He maintained the inside path until the top of the stretch. He then swung wide and got up to get the nose win over Lesters Secret.
It was two lengths back to a non-threatening Bonndaddy’s in third.

Sierra Starlet Handicap
Wild Alaska, a 25-1 longshot, flew down the middle of the track to pull off the big upset in the $50,000 Sierra Starlet Handicap for three-year-old fillies.
Favored Blue Eyed Bella was in a duel with Winter Mist and they appeared to be racing for the victory at the 1/16th pole. But, jockey Carlos Madeira had Wild Alaska rolling and they rallied from out of contention for the win in 1:04.46 for the five-and-a-half furlongs. They won by an expanding one-and-three-quarter lengths
Blue Eyed Bella won the battle for the runner-up position by three quarters of a length over Winter Mist.
Helene Guteman’s Wild Alaska has an affection for the Ruidoso Downs surface. She captured her only other career victory when she took a maiden race at the mountain track last summer.

Lincoln Handicap - - Ruidoso Sale Graduate
The Ken Tohill-ridden One Bad Ghost wore down rival Askmetodance to prevail in the $50,000 Lincoln Handicap for older fillies and mares.
One Bad Ghost raced the six furlongs in 1:10.16 to win by one quarter of a length over Askmetodance while Birdie’s Ghost was another one-and-a-quarter lengths back in third.
Trained by Joel Marr, One Bad Ghost came into the Lincoln Handicap off a fourth-place run in an allowance race at Ruidoso Downs on June 10. The lightly raced four-old filly only made one start last year, a second in the $125,000 La Senora Handicap at Sunland Park.
One Bad Ghost showed promise as a juvenile when she was third in the $123,000 Rio Grande La Senorita Futurity during the Zia Festival program at Ruidoso Downs.

Zia Derby - Ruidoso Sale Graduate
Victor Diaz’s Salt On The Side surprised at 18-1 odds to score his second-straight victory in the Grade 2, $107,173 Zia Derby for quarter horses.
Ricky Ramirez guided Salt On The Side to the head win while stopping the timer in :19.52 for the 400 yards.
Trained by Hermenegildo Aldavaz, Salt On the Side raced to his first career win in his sixth lifetime start when he won his Zia Derby trial by one-half length. The gelding was a $25,000 purchase at the Ruidoso Select Quarter Horse Yearling Sale and earned $53,594 in the Zia Derby.
The Wes Giles-trained One Diamond Kitty finished second by one-half length over favored Dustys Cabin.
One Diamond Kitty was the third-place finisher in the $150,000 All American Juvenile and was second in his Zia Derby trial.

Zia 870 Championship - Ruidoso Sale Graduate
The thoroughbred Key’s Band raced like a quarter horse for a pace-pressing win in the $50,000 Zia 870 Championship.
The quarter horse Dash Of Deanie burst to the lead with Key’s Band quickly pulling alongside. Key’s Band took command on the turn and crossed under the wire in :45.21 with Jorge Martin Bourdieu in the saddle.
On Star Cowboy rallied for second, finishing two-and-a-quarter lengths back, and Dash Of Deanie held on for third.
Key’s Band was the 3-2 favorite after winning the four-and-half-furlong Mount Cristo Handicap and finishing second in the five-and-a-half-furlong Sierra Blanca Handicap in his two previous starts. The five-year-old gelding was claimed for $40,000 before his recent stakes success.

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