RUIDOSO DOWNS, NM—JUNE 5, 2017—Beth and Michael Harper’s fastest-qualifier Firing Tools faces the big challenge when he lines up against a strong field in Grade 1, $800,000 Ruidoso Derby at 400 yards on Saturday afternoon at Ruidoso Downs.

First post time is 1 p.m. with free parking and free general admission.

The $100,000 Mr Jess Perry, for horses who did not qualify for the Ruidoso Derby, is on the program. It will be led by champion and 2016 All American Futurity Winner Imperial Eagle.

There will also be full simulcast wagering on the $1.5-million Belmont Stakes program from Belmont Park.

Firing Tools will be facing last year’s Grade 1, $1-million Ruidoso Futurity winner Apolltical Chad and four horses from the potent Trey Wood stable.

Firing Tools, a $67,000 Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale purchase, pulled off a mild 6-1 upset in the 11th of 12 Ruidoso Derby time trials in eye-catching fashion. The gelding quickly sprinted to the lead and then drew off to win by four lengths, an incredible margin in quarter horse racing. His time of :19.392 for the 400 yards was the afternoon’s fastest time.

A son of Walk Thru Fire, Firing Tools showed his promise last fall at Lone Star Park near Dallas. He won a maiden race and then his trial to the Grade 1, $1-million Texas Classic Futurity, qualifying for the finals.

Trainer Toby Keeton, who began training Firing Tools this year, has named trial jockey Esgar Ramirez to ride Firing Tools with the sixth post position.

Nueve Racing’s Apolltical Chad, a $38,000 Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale purchase, burst upon the national scene a year ago when he won the Grade 1, $1-million Ruidoso Futurity by a head over champion A Revenant, who went on to win the Grade 1, $1-million Rainbow Futurity.

The Wes Giles-trained Apolltical Chad capped last summer’s run and his 2016 campaign with a fourth-place finish in the Grade 1, $3-million All American Futurity.

Apolltical Chad returned to racing in peak form for the Ruidoso Derby trials. The Apollitical Jess-sired gelding easily took command of his trial and then raced to a one-and-one-quarter length win. His time of :19.594 was the second-fastest qualifying time.

Regular rider Adrian A. Ramos will be aboard Apolltical Chad with the outside post position in the 10-horse field.

Trainer Wood, who works with his father Blane Wood, has a strong foursome in the Ruidoso Derby. They are third-fastest qualifier Corona Carmelita, fourth-fastest qualifier High Plains Perry, ninth-fastest qualifier Tough To Bee and 10th-fastest qualifier Mighty B Candy.

Corona Carmelita, High Plains Perry and Tough To Bee are each owned by Paragon Farms, LLC of Conroe, Texas.

Jockey Rickey Ramirez was on each of the Wood qualifiers and chose to ride High Plains Perry.

Trey Wood was the leading trainer while Ricky Ramirez was the top jockey at the recently concluded Remington Park meet.

High Plains Perry has proven Grade 1 experience and excelled in his trial. After experiencing some poor racing luck last summer at Ruidoso Downs, he found good fortune when he traveled to Lone Star Park last fall. The $100,000 Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale purchase won is trial to the Grade 1, $1-million Texas Classic Futurity and raced to a game head win over fellow Ruidoso Derby qualifier Koolnfamous in the Texas Classic Futurity, which offers the largest purse of any horserace in Texas.

The winner of five of six starts with one second-place run, High Plains Perry was rested after the Texas Classic Futurity in November and returned to action in the Ruidoso Derby trials. He was the 3-5 favorite in his trial and lived up to expectations with a front-running one length win in :19.641.

Corona Carmelita did not race as a two-year-old because her shins became sore, however has come back this year as one of the top prospects in the three-year-old division. The Corona Cartel-sired filly easily took a maiden race in March at Remington Park and then headed to Ruidoso for the Ruidoso Derby trials. The sharp-looking miss with a big upside showed her grit with a neck win in :19.636.

Jose Amador Alvarez gets the mount with the fifth post position.

Tough To Bee is dangerous in any race. The gelding won this spring’s Mr Master Bug Stakes at Remington Park. Last year, he was a close third in both the Ruidoso Futurity and the Texas Classic Futurity, and fourth in the $500,000 All American Juvenile.

The Apollitical Jess son won his Ruidoso Derby trial by one-half length in :19.769.

Raul Ramirez Jr. gets the mount with the second post position.

Terry and Irene Stennett’s homebred Mighty B Cartel makes his first stakes appearance in the Ruidoso Derby and appears to be a horse with his best races ahead of him. He has won three of his six career starts while in his latest four outs he has a pair of wins and two close second-place finishes.

The Stennetts were the leading owners at Remington Park.

Mighty B Cartel raced to a game head win in his Ruidoso Derby trial in :19.778.

Sergio Becerra Jr. is up with the seventh post position.

In the 400-yard Mr Jess Perry, Charles and Christina Robinson’s Imperial Eagle heads the full field. The gelded son of One Famous Eagle earned the 2016 champion two-year-old title after winning an exciting Grade 1, $3-million All American Futurity and then going on to win the Grade 1, $200,000 Southwest Juvenile Championship and the $200,000 Sunland Winter Juvenile.

The 2016 All American Futurity was one of the most thrilling runnings in recent years. Imperial Eagle and The Marfa Lights battled over the final 100 yards with Imperial Eagle coming out with the neck win.

Trainer Tony Sedillo will have regular rider Esgar Ramirez on Imperial Eagle with the inside post position.

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

The Belmont Stakes at one-and-one-half miles shapes up as an excellent wagering opportunity with about a dozen runners expected to compete in the classic. Post time is 4:37 (MDT).

John Oxley’s Classic Empire is the probable favorite after being beaten by head in the Preakness Stakes. The Mark Casse-trained Classic Empire was the unanimous 2016 champion two-year-old with a win in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and then took the Arkansas Derby in April.

Carrot Farms’ Epicharis makes his North American debut in the Belmont Stakes. The Japanese-bred won his first four starts, all in Japan. He then was second by a nose in the $2-million UAE Derby in Dubai before coming to the New York on June 1. His connections would take a $1-million bonus if he wins the Belmont Stakes.

The stakes race spree at Belmont Park begins on Thursday with three stakes races, five stakes races on Friday and 10 stakes (six Grade 1) on Saturday.

There will be two special Friday to Saturday daily double wagers. They are the $100,000 guaranteed New York Stakes to the Metropolitan Handicap and the $300,000 guaranteed Belmont Gold Cup to the Belmont Stakes.

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.