RUIDOSO DOWNS, NM—JULY 19, 2018—Joe Rios' sensational Suze Returns the third-ranked two-year-old in the weekly American Quarter Horse Association Poll, looks to take a jump up the rankings when she heads the Grade 1, $1,000,000 Rainbow Futurity on Sunday afternoon at Ruidoso Downs.

Also on the program is the $100,000 Rainbow Juvenile for horses who did not qualify for the Rainbow Futurity. Heritage Place Futurity finalist Symbol Of Faith is the 5-2 morning-line favorite for the Rainbow Juvenile.

There were two days of Rainbow Futurity trials on July 6-7 with the five-fastest horses on each day advancing to the Rainbow Futurity. The horses with the next five-fastest times on each day gained preference for the Rainbow Juvenile.

First post time on Sunday is 1 p.m. with the Rainbow Futurity running as the 10th race and the Rainbow Juvenile is the ninth race.

The Rainbow Futurity and the Rainbow Juvenile are each at 400 yards.

Suze Returns is a close third in the current AQHA poll. Blue Corazon is first with 82 points, Wave Her Down is second with 80 points while Suze Returns has 74 points. Blue Corazon raced in the Rainbow Futurity trials and did not qualify for the Rainbow Futurity or Juvenile while Wave Her Down races at Los Alamitos. Therefore, a win in the Rainbow Futurity should bolster Suze Returns' chances to move up in the poll.

Trained by Juan Carlos Gonzalez, Suze Returns has reached the third-place ranking after winning the Grade 2, $269,528 West Texas Futurity at Sunland Park back in April and then coming up to Ruidoso Downs and finishing second to Blue Corazon in the Grade 1, $1,000,000 Ruidoso Futurity, her only defeat from five career starts. Her earnings of $321,618 are more than three times the combined earnings of the other nine horses in the Rainbow Futurity.

A daughter of High Rate Of Return, Suze Returns was in peak form on the second day of Rainbow Futurity trials. She quickly took control of her trial and then drew out to a two-length victory with the day's fastest time of :19.749.

"She's doing awesome," said Gonzalez. "She did awesome and pulled up well."

She's maturing a lot. She was always high energy in the paddock and she was calm before the trial. I was a little concerned, but that shows how she's matured."

Jaime Parga Leos, the only jockey that Suze Returns has known, will be aboard with the third post position. She also started from the third post position in her trial.

La Feliz Montana Ranch, LLC's Lethal Lil raced to the fastest time on the first day of trials when she won her trial by one-and-one-half lengths in :19.782. The Corona Cartel-sired filly went to the front and steadily increased her advantage until she crossed the finish line with a one-and-one-quarter length advantage.

The Joel Valeriano-trained Lethal Lil has stakes experience. She finished ninth behind Suze Returns in the West Texas Futurity. She was then a troubled fifth in her Ruidoso Futurity trial.

Jose Amador Alvarez will be aboard Lethal Lil with the eighth post position.

Jose Espinosa and Pedro Aguado's One Famous Stone, a $240,000 Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale purchase, impressed while winning his maiden in his trial on the first trial day. The One Famous Eagle-sired gelding drew out to a two-length score and his time of :19.813 was the afternoon's second fastest time.

One Famous Stone was second in his Ruidoso Futurity trial, his debut, and then was ninth in the Ruidoso Futurity.

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In the Rainbow Juvenile, Symbol Of Faith – owned by J. Garvin Kelly, Nancy Yearsley and J. Lloyd Yother – rallied to the lead nearing the finish line of his trial to win by a nose in :20.046. The daughter of Tac It Like A Man finished fifth at 35-1 odds in the Grade 1, $1,025,000 Heritage Place Futurity at Remington Park.

James A. Flores rides Symbol Of Faith from the fifth post position in the Juvenile.

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