RUIDOSO DOWNS, NM—JUNE 2, 2017—Flash Moonfire’s owner David Valdez paid $15,000 for the gelding to gain eligibility to the $392,555 Mountain Top Futurity trials and that investment came through with the fastest-qualifying time from 12 trials on Friday afternoon at Ruidoso Downs.

The 350-yard Mountain Top Futurity is for New Mexico-bred two-year-olds. The finals will be held on June 17.

A $27,000 Ruidoso Yearling Sale purchase, Flash Moonfire came into his trial with $30,749 in earnings After as fourth-place finish in the $140,000 New Mexican Spring Futurity at Sunland Park in his prior start.

Flash Moonfire, the 1-2 favorite, took command of the second trial under jockey Oscar Cordova and easily handled his rivals by one length. The Juan Esquivel-trained gelded son of First Moonflash was timed in :17.704 for 350 yards.

The first of three-finalists bred by Mike Abraham, Flash Moonfire is out of the Walk Thru Fire mare Required Fire.

Trainer Wes Giles saddled second-fastest qualifier Bigg Daddy and fourth-fastest qualifier Tempting Star Gazer.

Too For Two’s Bigg Daddy humbled his rivals in the final trial when he pulled away to a two-and-three-quarter-length win in:17.794. The gelded son of second crop sire Big Daddy Cartel and champion Alice K White was the 5-2 favorite after qualifying for the New Mexican Spring Futurity.

Bigg Daddy, a $25,000 Ruidoso Yearling Sale purchase, won his maiden in his third career start while taking the trial. He is the first of four qualifiers bred by MJ Farms.

Jose Espinosa and Jill Giles’ Tempting Star Gazer, a gelding by First Moonflash, pulled away from New Mexican Spring Futurity winner Moneys A Maker to win by one-and-three-quarter lengths. The $23,000 Ruidoso Yearling Sale purchase was clocked in :17.818.

Tempting Star Gazer came off a third-place run behind Moneys A Maker in the Spring Futurity. Also, bred by Abraham, he is out of Most Tempting by Runaway Winner.

Rogelio Carrasco Sr.’s A Passion For Flashn, a $6,500 Ruidoso Yearling Sale purchase, stepped forward with a 9-1 upset win in the eighth trial with the second-fastest time of :17.812. The First Moonflash son won his maiden in his third start after never finishing higher than fourth in his two previous outs.

JHM Racing LLC bred the colt from the Streakin Sixes mare Subtly Sixy.

Leading sire First Moonflash sired half the field. Multiple stakes sire Jesses James Jr got three finalists and second crop sire Big Daddy Cartel qualified two.

For the complete list of Mountain Top Futurity qualifiers, times, sires, dams, owners, breeders, trainers and jockeys CLICK HERE.

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