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Rainbow Derby, Oaks Trials Set for Sunday
AQHA Racing Champion Filly Dark Nme will make her 3-year-old debut against the boys in Sunday's Grade 1 Rainbow Derby trials.

© Dustin Orona Photography
Rainbow Derby, Oaks Trials Set for Sunday

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI

RUIDOSO DOWNS, NM–JUNE 24, 2024–Some of the best 3-year-old American Quarter Horses will be on display during Sunday's Rainbow Derby (G1) and Rainbow Oaks (G1) trials at Ruidoso Downs.

Forty-two sophomore fillies -- led by Flying Sophia, Asscher, and Running To The Moon -- are entered in five 440-yard Rainbow Oaks trials. A homebred Flying Cowboy 123 filly trained by Mike Joiner for owners Calder and Candy Ezzell of Roswell, New Mexico, Flying Sophia will be facing 3-year-olds off of her half-length victory over aged distaffers in the 400-yard, $100,000 Junos Request Stakes (G1) at Remington Park on June 1.

The sorrel filly has won five of eight races and has earned $247,270, and she ended her 2-year-old campaign with a one-length victory in the October 22, $296,000 La Fiesta Futurity at Albuquerque Downs.

Flying Sophia drew post 7 and will be ridden by Francisco Calderon in the first Rainbow Oaks trial.

Earlier this season, Asscher sported a three-race win streak that included a three-quarter length score in the 400-yard, $404,000 Los Alamitos Oaks (G1) on March 23. Marc Jungers trains the daughter of champion FDD Dynasty for owners Lance Bland and Jimmy Barton.

Asscher drew the rail post and will be ridden by Christian Ramos in the second heat.

A bay daughter of champion First Moonflash trained by Heath Taylor for owner Valeriano Racing Stables, Running To The Moon will be stretching out in distance off of her second-place finish, a neck behind winner Deep Blue, in the 400-yard, $297,000 Heritage Place Oaks at Remington Park on June 1. The filly drew post 2 and will be ridden by Francisco Calderon in the third Rainbow Oaks trials.

Sunday's Rainbow Derby trials attracted 74 entries, led by champions Cowboys Gun Z and Dark NME, in eight 440-yard heats.

Last year's champion 2-year-old, Cowboys Gun Z is a gelded son of Flying Cowboy 123 trained by Mike Joiner for owner West Texas Racing Partners. Cowboys Gun Z has won three of seven races and has earned $1,548,344, and his two wins in five starts at Ruidoso Downs include last year's 440-yard, $3-million All American Futurity (G1).

Cowboys Gun Z drew post 5 and will be ridden by Agustin Silva in the eighth Rainbow Derby trial.

Dark NME was last season's champion juvenile filly, as the Hes Relentless filly banked $1,559,452 from nine races and won the 400-yard, $1-million Rainbow Futurity (G1) at Ruidoso Downs and 400-yard, $1.176-million Texas Classic Futurity (G1) at Lone Star Park. Romeo Mireles trains Dark NME for owner TYKHE Racing.

Dark NME drew post 8 and will be ridden by Francisco Calderon in the third heat.

Other prominent sophomores entered in the Rainbow Derby trials include RJ Having Fun, a gray son of PYC Fun N Fancy owned and trained by Toby Keeton. RJ Having Fun is coming off of a Remington Park spring campaign during which he earned $107,055 from four races and scored victories over Oklahoma-bred 3-year-olds in the 400-yard, $169,000 Remington Park Derby (RG1) on April 29 and the 350-yard, $50,000 Jack Brooks Stakes (RG3) on May 25.

RJ Having Fun drew post 2 and will be ridden by Juan Pulido in the third trial.

The $750,000 Rainbow Derby and $350,000 Rainbow Oaks finals are scheduled for Saturday, July 13.

All Ruidoso Downs races can be seen at Q-Racing Video.com.