Preview Racing


Fincher-Trained Horses Favored During Class-Filled Saturday at Ruidoso Downs
On The Low Down easily winning the Mountain Top Futurity earlier this season at Ruidoso Downs.

© Gay Harris / Ruidoso Downs
Fincher-Trained Horses Favored During Class-Filled Saturday at Ruidoso Downs

RUIDOSO DOWNS, NM—AUGUST 8, 2017—Trainer Todd Fincher could have a big Saturday afternoon at Ruidoso Downs with top contenders in each of two sets of futurity trials and the afternoon’s stakes race.

Two-time futurity winner On The Low Down tops three trials to the $135,395 Rio Grande Senor Thoroughbred Futurity, futurity winner Comics Cashway leads two trials to the $134,769 Rio Grande Senorita Thoroughbred Futurity and the consistent Mahoney N Tacklebery stretches out to 550 yards in the $20,000 Brigand Stakes on Saturday afternoon at Ruidoso Downs.

They are all trained by Fincher.

First post time is 1 p.m. for the 10-race program. There is always free parking and free general admission at Ruidoso Downs.

The Rio Grande Senor Futurity is for New Mexico-bred two-year-old colts and geldings while the Rio Grande Senorita Futurity is for New Mexico-bred two-year-old fillies. All the trials are contested over five-and-one-half furlongs.

The top-three horses in each Senor Futurity trial will qualify for the finals on September 4. The 10th and final qualifier will be determined from a draw between the three fourth-place finishers.

The top-five finishers in each Senorita Futurity trial advance to the futurity on September 3.

On The Low Down is the class of the Senor Futurity trials with wins in the $147,196 Copper Top Futurity at Sunland Park and the $141,382 Mountain Top Futurity at Ruidoso Downs in his most recent start.

Owned by Dale Taylor, Bobby McQueen and Suzanne Kirby, On the Low Down was the 6-5 favorite in the Mountain Top Futurity and his supporters were never in doubt. The gelding sired by Dome sprinted to the lead in the five-furlong futurity and then drew away in the stretch to win by an impressive seven-and-three-quarter lengths.

Tracy Hebert has been aboard On The Low Down in each of his four starts and retains the mount. They drew the sixth post position in the fourth race.

Challenging On The Low Down in his trial will be $45,000 Totah Futurity winner P J’s Gold, who was eighth behind On The Low Down in the Copper Top Futurity.

Paul Jensen’s homebred P J’s Gold, trained by Henry Dominguez, pulled out to with the four-and-one-half furlong Totah by five-and-one-quarter lengths.

Enrique Portillo Gomez rides P J’s Gold from the second post position.

Helen Nave’s Comics Cashwasy has made only one start. She made the most of that out on May 15 when she won the $45,000 C.O. “Ken” Kendrick Memorial Stakes at SunRay Park. The daughter of Comic Genius had a one-length lead entering the stretch and then pulled away for a four-length victory under Hebert

Hebert retains the mount with the seventh post position in the fifth race.

Brigand Handicap.

Ben Peterson’s Mahoney N Tacklebery takes his first shot at 550 yards in the Brigand. The three-year-old won his 400-yard trial to the Grade 1, $800,000 Ruidoso Derby in his latest start on June 17. He bobbled at the start and then found his stride to win by a neck as the even-money favorite.

Two starts ago, Mahoney N Tacklebery, a son of Favorite Cartel, was a close third in the $30,000 Animas Stakes over 400 yards.

Agustin Silva will be aboard Mahoney N Tacklebery with the second post position.

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