Dash To Stone (inside) battles fellow qualifier Mr Secret Glory in the final race on day 1 of the All American Futurity trials at Ruidoso Downs.

© Janie Stoody / StallioneSearch

RUIDOSO, NM—AUGUST 26, 2017—According to sources in Ruidoso, New Mexico, third-fastest qualifier in the 2017 All American Futurity(G1), Heza Streakin Legacy, was deemed ineligible to participate in the $3 Million All American Futurity(G1) trials due to pre-trial race testing results. The 11th-fastest qualifier, Dash For Stone, now will move up to claim the 10th spot in the Labor Day futurity.

This is the first-time, according to multiple longtime Ruidoso racing historians, that this type of action has been taken to move a horse into the field due to ineligibility of a qualifier.

"It’s kind of something unprecedented," said Izzy Trejo, executive director of the New Mexico Racing Commission, told the Daily Racing Form over the weekend. "We decided the best thing to do for Quarter Horse racing was to have a 10-horse field for the world’s richest [Quarter Horse] race,"  he added.

Entries for the All American were taken on Friday, the same day the connections of Heza Streakin Legacy petitioned for an emergency court hearing that may have enabled the horse to be entered. By early afternoon the judge had upheld the decision that dissolved the original temporary restraining order, but the stewards that morning had denied the entry based on the original court ruling that returned the horse to the stewards' list.

Trejo said more than 100 hair tests were performed on leading contenders for the All American Futurity, whether before the trials, or when results of qualifiers were official if those individuals had not been previously tested. The same approach was taken for the All American Derby, and there were no issues with that race, said Trejo.

"Our goal prior to the All American [races] was to have 10 clean horses for the Futurity and the Derby," said Trejo.

A $34,000 TQHA Sale Futurity graduate, Dash For Stone is a son of Tempting Dash out of the Jody O Toole mare named Lassie O Toole. Trained by Daniel G. Luna, Dash For Stone completed the 440-yard distance in a time of :21.876. He is owned by Rancho La Cobra, was ridden to victory by Roberto Valero, and was bred in the state of Texas by James "Jimmy" Murry, Jr.