Racing


A Revenant Rallies For Win In $1 Million Rainbow Futurity
A Revenant, under champion jockey Cody Jensen, runs down Paint My Pilot (inside) in Sunday's $1 million Rainbow Futurity at Ruidoso Downs.

© Dara Pearce / StallioneSearch
A Revenant Rallies For Win In $1 Million Rainbow Futurity

RUIDOSO DOWNS, NM—JULY 24, 2016—A Revenant ran down Paint My Pilot in the finals few strides to win the Grade 1, $1,000,000 Rainbow Futurity on Sunday at Ruidoso Downs and place A Revenant on the short list of favorites to the Grade 1, $3,000,000 All American Futurity on Labor Day.

The $1,000,000 purse equals the record purse for the 400-yard Rainbow Futurity.

A Revenant started from the outside post position while Paint My Pilot drew the inside post position.

"He got away (from the gate) extremely well for him," said rider Cody Jensen after winning his first Rainbow Futurity. "I drew next to Muddy Watters and he starts well. I liked that because it gave us a target to run at."

"I switched sticks (changed whip hands) to my left hand when we hit the crowd and he took off. He galloped out great," said Jensen

"I’ve finished second in this race four times; now the races on my bucket list that I haven't won are the Champion of Champions and the Los Alamitos Two Million."

Ruidoso Downs General Manager Shawn Hubbard presents the winning connections of A Revenant the Rainbow Futurity(G1) stakes trophy Sunday afternoon in the Ruidoso Downs infield. © Gay Harris / Ruidoso Downs
A Revenant was timed in :19.708 for the 400 yards.

Paint My Pilot, who nearly hit the inside rail, ran an impressive race to finish second, beaten by a neck.

Lethal Class was one length behind the leaders for third.

Owned R.D. Hubbard, Johnny Cope, Ray Willis and Butch Southway, A Revenant’s next goal is to check off the final race from Hubbard’s bucket list – the All American Futurity. He has finished in every position in the All American Futurity, but first.

"Number one on my bucket list is the All American Futurity," said Hubbard. "I need to say that the jockey and the trainer (Mike Joiner) did an outstanding job. It’s a great crew."

Joiner qualified four horses for the Rainbow Futurity. One horse, One Famous Beau, was scratched because of a hoof abscess. Ultimate Return finished sixth and Drinkin Class was ninth.

"It's fantastic," said Joiner after winning his second Rainbow Futurity. “I’m really happy for the owners, my crew, my jockey and the horse.”

A Revenant, a $152,000 Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale purchase, now becomes a prime stallion prospect with this classic Grade 1 win.

The son of Mr Jess Perry earned his odds-on favoritism after finishing second by just a head in the Grade 1, $1,000,000 Ruidoso Futurity to Apolltical Chad, who passed the Rainbow Futurity and is pointing at the All American Futurity trials on August 19-20.

Bred by Julianna Hawn Holt, from the Mr Eye Opener mare Thewayouwantmetoo, A Revenant was the fastest qualifier on the first of two days of Rainbow Futurity trials. He covered the 400 yards in :19.812.

Double A Ranch’s Paint My Pilot may have cost himself the Rainbow Futurity when he ducked in and nearly hit the inside rail and then veered out under jockey Yordanis Amaro.

A Pyc Paint Your Wagon son from the Kelli Martin barn, Paint My Pilot won his maiden in his third start when he took his Rainbow Futurity trial by two-and-one-quarter lengths.

Grant Farms, LLC bred the $68,000 Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale graduate in Louisiana from the Splash Bac mare Ms Pilot Point. Paint My Pilot has earned $192,846 in four starts this season.

Third-place finisher Lethal Class, a daughter of Tres Seis, should prove dangerous for the rest of the year. The Blane Wood-trained filly won her first two starts and was second in her Rainbow Futurity trial with the second-fastest time of :19.895 on the second day of trials. Ivan Carnero had the riding call.

Lethal Class, racing for P.K. and Kim Thomas, earned $100,000 for her third place finish. The Oklahoma homebred, from the Chicks Beduino mare Miss Lethal, has compiled a (4) 2-1-1 record and earned $112,118 this season.

A Tres, Muddy Watters, Ultimate Return, Soar Like An Eagle, De la Eagle and Drinkin Class completed the field.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

In the $100,000 Rainbow Juvenile, for horses that did not qualify for the Rainbow Futurity, Rancho El Cabrestos, Inc’s Apollititaka scored 13-1 upset win when she held off Seaside Eagle to take the diminishing one-half-length victory (see related story).

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

For complete Ruidoso Downs’ information, go to www.raceruidoso.com, visit the Ruidoso Downs Race Track and Casino Facebook page and follow the Ruidoso Press Box (@RuiPressBox) on Twitter.