Grade 1 winner Dark Nme, under champion jockey Francisco Calderon, won the fourth trial for the Rainbow QH Futurity(G1) while setting the fastest time on Day 1 at Ruidoso Downs today.

© Bailey Ivey / Ruidoso Downs

RUIDOSO DOWNS, NM–JUNE 20, 2023–Dark Nme, winner of the $804,150 Remington Park Oklahoma-Bred Futurity (RG1) on April 22, rolled over competition in the fourth of 16 trials today to set the fastest qualifying time for the Grade 1 $1,000,000 Ruidoso QH Futurity on Day 1 of time trials. 

The five fastest qualifiers from today will join the five fastest from Friday's 16 trials to return to the Mountain racetrack and vie for a winner's purse valued at $420,000 on Sunday July 16.

You would think with a 3-1/4 length winning effort under champion jockey Francisco Calderon that Dark Nme may have drawn into an easy trial heat.

She didn't, the second and third place finishers in the trial both qualified to rich Rainbow final including the likes of Ruidoso QH Futurity(G1) runner-up Wired 440 (third) and Scream Machine (second), a $240,000 Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale graduate making his career debut.

A $65,000 Heritage Place Yearling Sale graduate, Dark Nme ran a perfect race from the 10 hold to stop the clock at :19.661 seconds, a 94-speed index into a 10 mph headwind, by far they day's fastest race.

Trane Station V, under champion jockey Francisco Calderon, sets the second fastest in the trial 14 at Ruidoso Downs Friday. © Bailey Ivey / Ruidoso Downs

Trainer Santos Carrizales, Jr. conditions the daughter of All American Futurity(G1) sire Hes Relentless for owner TYKHE Racing LLC. Bred in Oklahoma, from the Spit Curl Jess mare Quions, Dark Nme has a perfect 4-for-4 record and has banked $349,062 this season. She also won her trial for the Ruidoso QH Futurity(G1) but did not qualify.

Trane Station V, a $130,000 Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale graduate, was the only horse to qualify after the sixth trial when he drew clear by 2-1/4 lengths to get the second fastest clocking of :20.051, an 83-speed index into a 8 mph headwind.

Also from the Carrizales Stable and ridden by Calderon, the gelded son of champion sire Favorite Cartel races for owner Valeriano Racing Stables LLC. The brown gelding entered off a second-place effort in the Ruidoso QH Futurity(G1) trials in his career debut last month. Steve D. Burns DVM bred Trane Station V from the Corona Cartel mare Attack The Cartel.

Mitey Relentless (#8), under champion jockey Luis Martinez, holds off Rj Having Fun to qualify in the trial 14 at Ruidoso Downs Friday. © Bailey Ivey / Ruidoso Downs

The aforementioned $240,000 Ruidoso Select graduate Scream Machine finished second his career debut to Dark Nme in the fourth, a neck ahead of Ruidoso QH Futurity(G1) runner-up Wired 440. His time of :20.082, also an 83-speed index into a 10-mph headwind, was the third fastest on Day 1.

Trainer Trey Wood named champion jockey Ricky Ramirez to ride the son of leading sire Favorite Cartel for owner Paragon Farms, LLC. The California-bred gelding, out of the "blue hen" mare Babe On The Fly by Strawfly Special, was also bred by Steve D. Burns, DVM.

The Ruidoso QH Futurity(G1) runner-up Wired 440, by Tempting Dash, was crowded early under jockey Sergio Becerra, Jr. to finish a close third while getting the fourth fastest clocking of :20.108, an 82-speed index into a 10-mph headwind. 

Conditioned by trainer Eric Valenzuela, the $135,000 Ruidoso Select Sale gradaute races for owner Alberto Vaillanueva, Jr. Bred in Texas by Paragon Farms, LLC, from the Apollitical Jess mare TIme For Jess, Wired 440 is a half-brother to last year's Grade 1 Rainbow Oaks winner Miss Beth Dutton.  Wired 440 has earned $187,000 this year. 

Mitey Relentless, a $60,000 Ruidoso Select Sale graduate under jockey Luis Martinez, got his second win in three starts in the sixth trial to get the fifth fastest time of :20.130 seconds, also an 83-speed index into a 6-mph headwind.

Racing for owners Scott Branson and Jimmy Vasquez, the son of champion Hes Relentless is trained by Jesus Rondan, Jr. Debra Laney bred the gelding in New Mexico from the graded stakes winner Mitey Moon by First Moonflash.

For the five qualifiers from Day 1 with times, sires, dams, owners, breeders, trainers and jockeys CLICK HERE.

The second five fastest qualifiers from each day are preferred invites to the $100,000 Rainbow QH Juvenile that will also run back on Sunday, July 16. For a list of those horses CLICK HERE. 

Day 2 of the Rainbow QH Futurity trials will get underway with a noon (MST) post time for the 16 race card for 2-year-old Quarter Horses.