Fastest qualifier Mystic Paint is one of ten finalists in the $832,707 Ruidoso Derby G1) at Ruidoso Downs on Saturday.

© Victoria Garcia / Ruidoso Downs

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI

RUIDOSO DOWNS, NM–JUNE 3, 2024–Mystic Paint, the surprising fastest qualifier from 10 trials run May 26, is one of 10 sophomores entered back in Saturday's 400-yard, $832,707 Ruidoso Derby G1) at Ruidoso Downs.

A $43,000 purchase at the 2022 Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale, Mystic Paint is trained by Jason Ollmstead for owner William E. Harned. The graded stakes placed Pyc Paint Your Wagon colt is coming off of a 1 1/2-length victory in the seventh trial.

Mystic Paint drew post 2 and will be ridden by Ramiro Garcia.

Other contenders include Lets Leave, a Grade 1-winning Favorite Cartel colt trained by Eric Valenzuela for owners Barron Racing and Empire Racing, and Bob McClure's Dashing Tres, a homebred gelded son of champion Tempting Dash trained by Toby Keeton.

Lets Leave has won four of six races and has earned $491,681, and his three wins in four outs at Ruidoso Downs include a nose victory as the 6-5 favorite in last year's 350-yard, $1-million Ruidoso Futurity (G1). The colt drew post 6 and will be ridden by Sergio Becerra Jr.

Dashing Tres has won three of five races and has banked $174,480, and he ended his juvenile campaign with a fifth-place finish, 1 1/2 lengths behind winner Cowboys Gun Z, in the sport's richest race, the 440-yard, $3-million All American Futurity (G1). The sorrel gelding drew post 10 and will be ridden by Bryan Candanosa.

The complete lineup, in post position order including jockey assignments and morning-line odds:
AJ Precious Jewel (Luis Martinez), 9-2
Mystic Paint (Ramiro Garcia), 15-1
Vegas Trick (Emilio Tapia), 15-1
San Lencho (Juan Pulido), 8-1
The Marksman V (Francisco Calderon), 20-1
Lets Leave (Sergio Becerra Jr.), 7-2
Mr Cartel Jess (Rodrigo Vallejo), 30-1
Wired 440 (Jose Luis Enriquez), 12-1
Trump This Record (Adrian Ramos), 6-1
Dashing Tres (Bryan Candanosa), 2-1

The Ruidoso Derby, and all Ruidoso Downs races, can be seen at Q-Racing Video.com.