RUIDOSO DOWNS, NM—JUNE 16, 2018— Mike Abraham and Paul Blanchard's gritty filly Jess Fire Chick battled to a close win over the late–charging Regard The Sevens in the $345,655 Mountain Top Quarter Horse Futurity for New Mexico-breds on Saturday afternoon at Ruidoso Downs.

Jess Fire Chick earned $145,175 after being purchased for $5,000 at the Ruidoso New Mexico-bred Sale last August.

Ridden by Adrian A. Ramos, Jess Fire Chick blew away from the gate to gain the advantage. She then dug in and hustled for every jump to get her second win from as many starts.

The daughter of Jess A Chicks won her Mountain Top Futurity trial by one-and-one-half lengths with the second-fastest qualifying mark of :18.051 for the 350 yards. She improved on that time with a time of :17.841 in the futurity.

"She breaks hard every time," co-owner Blanchard said. "She runs flat and runs hard the whole way. She is 100-percent runner."

Jess Fire Chick could make her next start in the Zia Futurity trials on July 14.

The filly won by a head over Regard The Sevens and it was only a neck back to third-place finisher No Mires A La Luna.

Raider 5 Racing, LLC's second-place finisher Regard The Sevens, ridden by Ricky Ramirez, has a strong closing kick that should help the Chicks Regard-sired gelding as distances grow longer. The gelding closed with a rush to win his trial by one-half length for trainer Blane Wood.

David Valdez and Byron Woodard's No Mires A La Luna was racing with the top-two finishers at the wire. The First Moonflash-sired gelding earned his place in the Mountain Top Futurity with a close second-place finish in his trial.

Trained by Trey Ellis, No Mires A La Luna has two narrow second-place finishes and the close third-place run in the Mountain Top Futurity from four starts.

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