Chimera, under jockey Rodrigo Vallejo, easily setting the fastest time in Sunday's $123,452 Ruidoso Maiden Stakes (not black type) trials at Ruidoso Downs.

© Bailey Ivey / Ruidoso Downs

RUIDOSO, NM–JUNE 4, 2023–Winless in four starts last year, Chimera dominated six trials for the $123,452 Ruidoso Maiden Stakes (not black type) on Sunday to set the fastest qualifying time.

The 10 fastest qualifiers will return to Ruidoso Downs on Saturday, June 17th to vie for a winner's purse valued at $51,850.

Under jockey Rodrigo Vallejo, Chimera drew off from the field in the sixth trial to win by 2-1/2 lengths while stopping the timer in :17.454 seconds, a 94 speed index, and the fastest of the day over a muddy racecourse.

M. Heath Taylor trains the Ruidoso Maiden Stakes supplement for owner-breeder Linda Loftis Tobias. The daughter of A Revenant was not that big of surprise going off as the post time favorite with past performances that included a fourth-place finish in the Grade 2 Firecracker Futurity at Delta Downs last summer.

Bred from the Brookstone Bay mare Brookside, Chimera has compiled a (5) 1-2-0 record and earned $32,511.

Taylor and Vallejo also teamed for the second-fastest qualifier Corin who was a 1-1/4 length winner in the opening trial in :17.464 seconds, a 94 speed index on a muddy racing surface.  He was also a supplement entry in the trials.

Winless in three trial races at Ruidoso last summer, Corin races for owners Bobby Simmons and Catherine Simmons. Bobby Simmons bred the Apollitical Jess gelding in Texas from the First Moonflash mare Foxy Moonflash.

The lightly raced filly Strawberry Jam was a half-length winner in the fifth trial, under jockey Christian Ramos, to get the third fastest clocking of :17.491, a 93 speed index. The Power Jam (TB) 3-year-old is owned by the Marc and Michelle Jungers.

Also trained by Marc Jungers, Strawberry Jam was bred in Texas from the Carters Cartel mare All About Tonight by M & M Jungers and R&R Reynolds.

For a complete list of Ruidoso Maiden Stakes qualifiers with times, sires, dams, owners, breeders, trainers and jockeys CLICK HERE.

Racing continues next weekend at Ruidoso Downs highlighted by the running of the $1 million Ruidoso Futurity and $900,000 (est) Ruidoso Derby. Post time will be 1 p.m. (MDT) next Friday, Saturday and Sunday.