Call Me Jessiecartel, ridden by Sergio Becerra, Jr., clocks fastest qualifying time to $340,165 Mountain Top Futurity [RG2] at Ruidoso of Friday.

© Bailey Ivey/Ruidoso Downs

RUIDOSO, NM–JUNE 2, 2023–Ruidoso Downs hosted 13 trials Friday afternoon for the $340,165 Mountain Top Futurity [RG2]. It was a cloudy afternoon but the straightaway stayed dry with only the notorious Ruidoso winds to battle against. Call Me Jessiecartel came out of the fourth trial with fastest qualifying time to the 350 yard futurity.

Piloted by Sergio Becerra, Jr, Call Me Jessiecartel made a steady drive to the wire against a 9 mph head wind in :17.762 seconds for a 3/4-length win over Patriotic View, who clocked the fourth fastest time. The son of Jess A Chicks clocked an 85 speed index and the victory paid $8.60 to win on a $2.00 wager.

Call Me Jessiecartel, who was favored to win, broke his maiden after winning the futurity trial. The Mike Abraham bred colt was a finalist in the Grade 2 New Mexican Spring Futurity at Sunland Park in April. Trained by Eric Valenzuela, he now has $11,175 in the bank after cashing in the $4,800 winner’s share of the purse. Valenzuela also trained three other finalists to the futurity.

Owners Empire Racing and Pavon Racing paid $23,000 for Call Me Jessiecartel in the 2022 Ruidoso New Mexico Bred Yearling Sale. He is a half-brother to Grade 2 winner First Cool Moon and out of the Corona Cartel mare Lilly Cartel, who’s dam is two-time champion Corona Kool.

Second fastest qualifier Da Edge, ridden by Mario Delgado, won the last trial of the day by an impressive 1 1/2-lengths against a 6 mph head wind. The son of Big Daddy Cartel clocked an 85 speed index in :17.795 seconds. 

Da Edge Of Gray’s victory was unexpected and the upset win paid $15.20 on 11/2 odds at the post. This was the first out for the gelding trained by JJ Gonzalez, who also saddled two other finalists from todays trials.

Breeder MJ Farms sold Da Edge Of Gray to his current owner Rex Wells for $59,000 in last year’s Ruidoso New Mexico Bred Yearling Sale. The two-year-old gelding is a half-brother to stakes winner Close To Crazy. He is out of the Grade 2 winning daughter of Separatist, Da Edge, who’s dam is two-time champion Deelish.

Trained by Wes Giles, Chicka Boom Babe clocked the third fastest time after winning trial #7 by 1/2-length. With Adrian Ramos in the irons, the post-time favorite clocked an 81 speed index in :17.906 seconds.

Chicka Boom Babe has three wins from four starts and was a finalist in the New Mexico Breeders’ futurity [G3] last month at Sunray Park. The daughter of Chicks Regard has $17,245 in lifetime earnings.

Breeder Ben Lee Ivey of Ivey Cattle Company owns Chicka Boom Babe in partnerships with Robert Driggers. The two-year-old filly is out of Riverside Babe by First Moonflash. 

CLICK HERE for complete details on the $340,165 Mountain Top Futurity [RG2] Trials, including horse, sex, sire, dam, dam sire, owner, breeder, trainer and jockey. Finals are to be ran on June 18, 2023.