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Ruidoso Downs Meet Opens with Grade 1 Futurity Trials
Grade 2 West Texas Futurity winner Painted Eclipse will start in Friday's sixth trial for the $1,000,000 Ruidoso Futurity(G1) at Ruidoso Downs.

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Ruidoso Downs Meet Opens with Grade 1 Futurity Trials

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI

RUIDOSO DOWNS, NM–MAY 20, 2024–A total of 311 2-year-olds are entered in this weekend's 350-yard Ruidoso Futurity (G1) at Ruidoso Downs.

Thirty-two trials will be contested, 16 on Friday and 16 on Saturday. First post time each day is set for 12 p.m. (MDT).

Painted Eclispe and Xpress Lane are two of the more accomplished 155 juveniles entered in Friday's heats. A gelded son of Pyc Paint Your Wagon trained by Xavier Rodriguez for owners Shaun Hubbard, La Feliz Montana Ranch LLC, and Ray Willis, Painted Eclispe has won both of his outs and has earned $151,957, and he will be stretching out in distance off of his nose victory in the 300-yard, $312,000 West Texas Futurity (G2) at Sunland Park on April 6.

Painted Eclispe was a $32,000 buy from breeder Donald J. Friesen at last year's Heritage Place Yearling Sale in Oklahoma City. The gelding drew post 10 and will be ridden by Luis Martinez in Friday's sixth trial.

Xpress Lane is coming off of a second-place finish, three-quarters of a length behind winner Joose Boxx, in the March 23, $502,000 Oklahoma Futurity (G2) at Remington Park. The gelded son of champion Foose and $53,000 purchase at last year's Heritage Place Yearling Sale is trained by Trey Wood for owners Gene Bradley, Tod Bradley, and Ware Brown.

Xpress Lane drew the rail post and will be ridden by Ruben Castro in Friday's fourth heat.

Saturday's trials have drawn 156 2-year-olds, led by stakes winnerrs Relentless American, Love Ta Fly, and Rompe Corazonez. An undefeated son of Hes Relentless trained by Jason Olmstead for owner Tom Maher of Pierre, South Dakota, Relentless American has earned $50,559 from two outs at Remington Park, and the gelding's two wins include a 1 1/4-length victory in the 330-yard, $100,000 Remington Park Juvenile Stakes (R) on April 29.

Relentless American drew post 6 and will be ridden by Ramiro H. Garcia in Saturday's second heat.

Cornerstone Stables' Love Ta Fly is coming off of a Sunland Park spring meet during which she won both of her races, including the 300-yard, $50,000 West Texas Juvenile Stakes on April 6. Robi Meche trains the sorrel daughter of Furyofthewind.

Love Ta Fly drew post 2 and will be ridden by Luis Martinez in Saturday's 15th trial.

Rompe Corazonez ships in from Turf Paradise, where the homebred Corona Cartel filly pocketed $30,438 from two races and won the 300-yard, $56,000 Arizona QRA Open Spring Futurity on April 25. Eric Valenzuela trains Rompe Corazonez for owner Balgo Racing Team Inc.

Rompe Corazonez drew post 5 and will be ridden by Jose Luis Enriquez in Saturday's third heat.

The five fastest qualifiers from each day of trials will meet in the June 9, $1-million Ruidoso Futurity final.

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