Political Twist, the reigning AQHA Champion Two-Year-Old and Champion Two-Year-Old Gelding, headlines Sunday’s Grade 1 Ruidoso Quarter Horse Derby trials at Downs of Albuquerque.

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By Louanne Wainscott, StallioneSearch

ALBUQUERQUE, NM–MAY 23, 2026–The Sunday afternoon card at Downs of Albuquerque promises a massive day of Quarter Horse racing, as seven trial heats featuring sixty-five talented sophomores battle for a coveted spot in the estimated $850,000 Grade 1 Ruidoso Quarter Horse Derby. The ten-race program will showcase some of the sport’s brightest three-year-olds as they sprint 400 yards in hopes of securing one of the ten fastest qualifying times and punching their ticket to one of the summer’s richest derby events.

Leading the star-studded cast is Political Twist, who returns in the fourth trial as the 5-2 morning-line favorite. The champion gelding enters the trials with one of the most accomplished résumés in the nation after capturing the 2025 Grade 2 West Texas Futurity and the prestigious Grade 1 $1,000,000 Ruidoso Futurity before finishing second in the Grade 1 $3,000,000 All American Futurity.

The AQHA Racing Champion Two-Year-Old and Champion Two-Year-Old Gelding has dazzled throughout his career, compiling an impressive record of six wins and one runner-up finish from eight starts. His only off-the-board effort came in the Grade 1 Los Alamitos 2 Million Futurity after enduring significant trouble late in the race.

Political Twist is by the legendary sire Apollitical Jess and out of the Tres Seis mare C Twist Seis. Bred in New Mexico by MJ Farms, the talented gelding races for La Feliz Montana Ranch, LLC, which secured him for $150,000 at the Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale. Champion trainer Xavier E. Rodriguez conditions the standout runner, who will break from the outside post nine under reigning Champion Jockey Luis Martinez.

Another major contender arrives in the sixth trial heat as Envestor enters as the 5-2 morning-line favorite. The gelding ships in from Remington Park after overcoming a tardy start to score an impressive half-length victory earlier this season.

Envestor has quietly built an outstanding record with four wins from five career starts while banking $343,326. His résumé includes a fourth-place finish against elite company in the Grade 1 $3,000,000 All American Futurity, proving he belongs among the division’s top sophomores.

Owned by the partnership of Richard Young, Joe David Yates, and Zack Stinebaugh, the gelding was one of the bargains of the Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale after being purchased for just $28,000. The son of Dulce Sin Tacha out of the Stoli mare And Poof Shes Gone was bred in Arkansas by Belinda Shaw. Trainer and co-owner Zackary Stinebaugh prepares the gelding for his trial assignment from post four, while Gilberto Linares picks up the mount for the first time.

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With sixty-five talented sophomores spread across seven loaded trial heats, Sunday’s card shapes up as one of the most competitive programs of the Memorial Day weekend. Proven stakes stars, rising contenders, and dangerous longshots will line up, all seeking a fast enough clocking to earn a berth in the Grade 1 Ruidoso Quarter Horse Derby Final on June 6th, giving fans and bettors an afternoon packed with speed, pressure, and high-stakes drama at Downs of Alb

The races at Downs at Albuquerque can be watched on Q-Racing Video.

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