RUIDOSO DOWNS, NM—JULY 5, 2019— Heritage Place Futurity top qualifier Jesses Dashair and Heritage Place Futurity runner-up Uncle D are among the contenders in two days of contentious 400-yard trials to the Grade 1, $1-million Rainbow Futurity on Friday and Saturday at Ruidoso Downs.

The horses with the five fastest times from the 13 trials on Friday join the horses with the five fastest times from Saturday's 13 trials in the Rainbow Futurity on July 21. The horses with the next five-fastest times on each day gain preference to race in the $100,000 Rainbow Juvenile on July 21.

Jesses Dashair races on Friday afternoon and Uncle D runs on Saturday afternoon.

First post time is noon for the two days of Rainbow Futurity trials.

The racing weekend begins on Thursday, July 4 with a Fourth of July celebration. A 60-foot by 120-foot American flag will be displayed by local student and activity groups on the track after the fifth race. The Prayer Garden near the chapel will be dedicated at 5:30 p.m. and that evening a new Jeep Wrangler will be given away in the Billy the Kid Casino. First post time on the Fourth of July is the usual 1 p.m.

The trials to the Grade 1 Rainbow Derby, which could have a $1-million purse, will be held on Sunday with the 10-fastest qualifiers gaining eligibility to compete in the Rainbow Derby on July 20.

No horse will have the opportunity to earn the $2-million All American Triple Crown Futurity Bonus this year. That would be paid to the connections of any horse who can win the $1-million (est.) Ruidoso Futurity, $1-million (est.) Rainbow Futurity and the $3-million (est.) All American Futurity.

Ruidoso Futurity winner Fernweh, the only horse who could have a chance at the bonus, will not compete in the Rainbow Futurity trials and will not race again this year. "She came up with a chip in the top of the joint in her right knee and had surgery," trainer Trey Wood said. "It isn't bad. We decided to save her for next year."

One of the horses representing the Wood stable in the trials is Celia Kinsey and Sandy Wood's Jesses Dashair.

Jesses Dashair impressed two starts ago at Remington Park when she raced to a neck win in her trial to the Grade 1, $1,073,100 Heritage Place Futurity. Her time of :17.392 for 350 yards was the fastest mark from the 11 trials held on the first of two nights of trials.

The daughter of Dashair, from the Mr Jess Perry Jesses Peach, then ran a throw-out race in the Heritage Place Futurity. She was squeezed back at the start and lost all chance. "She had to stand in the gate for eight minutes and then got off to a slow start," Wood said.

"She's doing well," Wood said. "She hasn't missed a beat since she's been here.

"I don't know how fast she is, but I know that she has a lot of heart."

Ricky Ramirez has been aboard for all of her starts and is up with the second post position in the second trial.

Joining Jesses Dashair on the first day of trials are Cartel Charly and Kj Mucho Macho Man.

Garlyn O. Shelton's homebred Cartel Charly impressed in his Ruidoso Downs debut when he battled with Oatman Creek Senator in their trial to the Grade 1, $1-million Ruidoso Futurity on May 25. Cartel Charly prevailed by a neck while each of the horses reached the Ruidoso Futurity finals.

Cartel Charly had trouble at the start of the Ruidoso Futurity and managed a fifth-place finish for trainer John Stinebaugh.

Agustin Silva has ridden the son of second-crop sire Coronado Cartel in each of his three starts and gets the call with the seventh post position in the eighth trial.

Kj Mucho Macho Man — owned by John and Kathy Lee with I. Ruben Mares — finished third in the Grade 2, $323,571 West Texas Futurity and then dominated his Ruidoso Futurity trial. He won the trial by one-and-one-half lengths and his time of :17.956 for 350 yards was good enough to qualify for the $100,000 Ruidoso Juvenile. His connections decided to pass on the Ruidoso Juvenile and target the Rainbow Futurity trials.

The Wes Giles-trained Kj Mucho Macho Man, has the breeding to excel in the Rainbow Futurity. He is by leading sire Apollitical Jess and his dam, Wild Six, won the 2007 Rainbow Futurity.

Adrian A Ramos rides Kj Mucho Macho Man from the first post position in the fifth trial. Cavenaugh Quarter Horses, LLC's Uncle D headlines Saturday's trials after his second-place run in the Heritage Place Futurity as the 9-5 favorite.

The Corona Cartel colt impressed in his Heritage Place Futurity trial while making his career debut for trainer Clint Crawford. He easily drew away from his rivals to win by two-and-one-half lengths and his time of :17.448 for 350 yards was the third-fastest mark on the first night of trials.

Cody Rodger Smith was up for the Heritage Place Futurity and retains the mount. Uncle D starts from the sixth post position in the seventh trial.

Diamond Racing Stables and U.S. Alliance Logistic's Return Of Brown Eyes also races on Saturday afternoon.

The $35,000 Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale purchase showed his class when he was second by a head in the West Texas Futurity two starts ago as the 21-10 favorite. The son of multiple stakes sire High Rate Of Return then came to Ruidoso Downs and handled his Ruidoso Futurity trial by one length, however his time was not quick enough to reach the finals.

Trainer Jose Luis Muela will have regular rider Sergio Becerra Jr. ride Return of Brown Eyes from the fourth post position in the fifth trial.

There are two supplemental nominees to the Rainbow Futurity trials at a cost of $30,000 each. They are Df Mischievious Jess Partners' Df Mischievious Jess and Rrelentless Partners' Rrelentless.

Df Mischievious Jess was third in the $100,000 Heritage Place Juvenile in his most recent start. He won his maiden in his Heritage Place Futurity trial.

Trainer Jimmy Padgett will have Rodrigo Sigala Vallejo on Df Mischievious Jess, a son of leading sire Apollitical Jess, in Friday's 11th trial with the fourth post position.

Rrelentless scored his first career win when he won the $57,700 John Deere Ruidoso Juvenile Challenge for trainer Gregg Sanders. The colt by leading first-crop sire Hes Relentless had previously qualified for the Grade 2, $396,650 Oklahoma Futurity at Remington Park.

James Flores rides Rrelentless with the second post position in the 13th trial on Saturday.

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