Fastest qualifier White Lightenin and multiple graded stakes winner KJ Daddys Money (pictured) are two of the 10 New Mexico-bred 3-year-old Quarter Horses entered in Saturday’s 350-yard, $205,265 Mountain Top Derby (R) at Ruidoso Downs.

A gelded son of the Mr Jess Perry stallion Eye Am King trained by James Gonzales II for owners Denis and Julie Schoenhofer, White Lightenin made his season debut with a clear 1 1/2-length victory in the sixth of seven Mountain Top Derby trials on June 3. White Lightenin has earned $156,938 from seven races, and he ended his 2-year-old season with a second-place finish, a half of a length behind winner Talbott, in the September 25, $626,000 New Mexico State Fair Futurity (RG3) at Albuquerque Downs.

White Lightenin is a half brother to champion Astica and was a $32,000 yearling purchase at the 2021 New Mexico-Bred Sale at Ruidoso Downs. The gelding drew post 3 and will be ridden by Mario Delgado.

KJ Daddys Money races for John and Kathy Lee and Ruben Mares from the barn of trainer Wes Giles. The fourth-fastest qualifier, the homebred Big Daddy Cartel filly has banked $270,442 from nine outs, and his three wins in five starts at Ruidoso Downs include a three-quarter length victory in last year’s 400-yard, $380,000 Zia Futurity (RG1).

KJ Daddys Money drew post 9 and will be ridden by Adrian Ramos.

The complete lineup, in post position order including jockey assignments and morning-line odds:
Cruzin For Chicks (Bryan Candanosa), 9-2
Jesses Wish (Christian Ramos), 6-1
White Lightenin (Mario Delgado), 7-2
Wood Dee Queen (Noe Garcia Jr.), 10-1
Vintage Bourdeaux (Luis A. Flores-Garcia), 12-1
Moon Jumpn Jessica (Oscar Andrade Jr.), 20-1
Nolans Moon (Sergio Becerra Jr.), 15-1
Codex (Francisco Calderon), 8-1
KJ Daddys Money (Adrian Ramos), 3-1
RC Corona King (Damian Corral), 15-1