The Ruidoso Derby and Ruidoso Futurity took place on Saturday and Sunday at Ruidoso Downs Race Track and Casino in the first leg of the quarter horse Triple Crown for 2 and 3-year-olds.
Ruidoso Derby
The Marksman V and jockey Francisco Calderon broke sharply and led throughout the $829,372 Ruidoso Derby for 3-year-old quarter horses on Saturday scoring a 1 and 3/4 length victory for owner Sammy Valeriano and trainer Heath Taylor.
“My horse broke like a rocket,” Calderon said. “We were out front and in the last hundred yards he drifted but ran so smoothly. He was super impressive today.”
The Marksman V ran the 400-yards in a time of 19.462 seconds and paid $16, $8.20 and $4.80.
It’s the first stakes victory for The Marksman V, having run second in the Texas Classic Juvenile at Lone Star Park as a 2-year-old last November to Flying Rabit 123.
“The Marksman V is paid up in the Rainbow Derby and if he comes back sound that will be our next venture,” Taylor said after the race.
Flying Rabbit 123 and jockey Juan Pulido won the Ruidoso Invitational by nearly a length covering the 400 yards in 19.956 seconds and paying $5, $3.20 and $2.40.
Ruidoso Futurity
Hezgothelook Z took top honors Sunday in the $1 million 350-yard Ruidoso Futurity for 2-year-old quarter horses. The winning time was 17.436 seconds.
Hezgothelook left the No. 3 post at odds of 3-2 after being named the 2-1 morning-line favorite last week. Toby Keeton was the winning trainer and Bryan Candanosa was the winning jockey.
Keeton also had the second-place finisher in Aguila Rapida with Ricky Ramirez aboard. Brink Man V was third for trainer and jockey combo of Taylor and Calderon.
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Felix F. Chavez can be reached at fchavez@elpasotimes.com; @Fchavezeptimes on X
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Trainer Toby Keeton goes 1-2 in 350-yard Ruidoso Futurity
