The field is set for the August 6, $112,992 Rio Grande Senorita Futurity (R) for New Mexico-bred 2-year-old Thoroughbred fillies at Ruidoso Downs.
Make Up A Story and Mark The Winner (pictured) won the two 5 1/2-furlong trials run on July 21. Trained by Todd Fincher for owners J. Kirk and Judy Robison of El Paso, Texas, Make Up A Story won the first heat by a neck in 1:07.04. Felipe Valdez rode the homebred chestnut daughter of the Bernardini stallion Marking.
Make Up A Story is the first starter produced by Holiday Heat, a winning homebred daughter of the Gone West stallion Southwestern Heat. Her second dam, the winning Sharp Humor mare Del Mar Holiday, ran third in the 2013 Debutante Stakes for 2-year-old fillies at Churchill Downs, and she was purchased by the Robisons for $30,000 at the ’2012 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.
Make Up A Story was winning for the second time in three races and increasing her earnings to $35,040.
Also qualifying from the first trial was Mark It Down, a homebred Marking filly trained by Dallas Barton for owners Mike H. Carson and Bill Carson. Mark It Down is one of three winners from four starters foaled by Lady Genius, a homebred multiple stakes winning Quinton’s Gold mare and a half sister to multiple stakes winners Mr. Wizard, Beau Wizer, and Double Smart.
Mark The Winner won the second heat by a half of a length in 1:07.04 under jockey Christian Ramos. Simon Buechler prepped the bay marking filly for owners Rodney Brooks and Donnie Reid.
Mark The Winner was winning for the second time in as many races and increasing her bankroll to $18,480. The filly was bred by Warren Franklin, and she is one of two winners from as many starters produced by Unofficial Winner, a winning daughter of Attila’s Storm who ran second in the 2013 C.O. “Ken” Kendrick Memorial Stakes (R) at SunRay Park.
Mark The Winner traces back to her third dam, Icy Morn, a multiple stakes winning daughter of the J.O. Tobin stallion Crowned Jewel.
Jana Trotter’s Sporty Pants finished second in the second trial. A daughter of the Tiznow stallion Sporting Chance trained by Casey Lambert, the bay filly is out of Bryn’s Fancy Pants, a stakes-winning Southwestern Heat mare, and she is a half sister to Bryns Mark, the winner of last year’s 6-furlong, $125,000 New Mexico Cup Lassie Championship (R) at Zia Park.
The complete list of finalists appears in alphabetical order below:
| Horse (Sex, Pedigree) | Owner | Breeder (State) | Trainer |
| CHIPZ F, Attila’s Storm-Zesty Salsa by Dome | Reliance Ranches LLC | Reliance Ranches LLC (NM) | Todd Fincher |
| JUST KEEP LAUGHIN F, Laugh Track-Just Keep Movin by Trappe Shot | Mike Abraham, Leslie Amestoy, and Pierre Amestoy Jr. | Mike Abraham (NM) | Todd Fincher |
| MAKE UP A STORY F, Marking-Holiday Heat by Southwestern Heat | Kirk and Judy Robison | J. Kirk and Judy Robison (NM) | Todd Fincher |
| MARK IT DOWN F, Marking-Lady Genius by Quinton’s Gold | Mike H. Carson and Bill Carson | Bill Carson, Mike Carson, and Leach Racing LLC (NM) | Dallas Barton |
| MARK THE WINNER F, Marking-Unofficial Winner by Attila’s Storm | Rodney Brooks and Donnie Reid | Warren Franklin (NM) | Simon Buechler |
| NOT TO FANCY F, Mr. Trieste-Roll Bloomers Roll by Roll Hennessy Roll | Fred Danley | Fred Danley (NM) | Fred Danley |
| PAYINGOFFMYMARKER F, Marking-Domesday Gal by Dome | Dustin Brooks | Dustin Brooks (NM) | Todd Fincher |
| SPORTY PANTS F, Sporting Chance-Bryn’s Fancy Pants by Southwestern Heat | Jana Trotter | Fred Alexander (NM) | Casey Lambert |
| STORM IN THE VALLE F, Attila’s Storm-Super Sister by Your Eminence | Wesley T. Gray and Glenda Gray | Wesley Gray and Glenda Gray (NM) | Simon Buechler |
| TAX FREE TEXAS F, Sporting Chance-Road To Reason by Redattore (BRZ) | J. Kirk and Judy Robison | J. Kirk and Judy Robison and Downstream Racing LLC | Todd Fincher |