Holy Rebel (pictured) and Waning Crecent won the two 5-furlong Mountain Top Thoroughbred Futurity (R) trials for New Mexico-bred 2-year-olds at Ruidoso Downs on June 7.
Prepped by Simon Buechler for owners Robert M. Driggers, Del Rae Driggers, and Ben Lee Ivey, Holy Rebel won the first trial by 2 1/2 lengths in 1:00.36. Enrique Gomez rode the homebred son of the Midnight Lute stallion Holy Lute.
Holy Rebel was making his career debut, as were all 13 of the juveniles competing in the two heats. The gray or roan gelding is out of Sidewinder Sally, a homebred daughter of the Mr. Greeley stallion Mr. Gold Mover who won the 2017 New Mexico Classics Oaks Championship (R) at Zia Park, and he is a half brother to Sidewinder Slick, a Stellar Rain gelding who ran third in the May 11 Kendrick Stakes (R) at SunRay Park.
Waning Crecent is a dark bay or brown son of the Unbridled’s Song stallion Right Rigger trained by Bennie L. “Chip” Woolley Jr. for owner Tobby J. Therwanger. Ridden by Enrique Gomez, the gelding went 5 furlongs in 1:01.50 while defeating Rig The Game by three-quarters of a length.
Waning Crecent was bred by Jacob Thompson, and he is out of Ecouter, an unraced Kentucky-bred daughter of the multiple graded stakes winning Mr. Prospector stallion Smart Strike. Ecouter has foaled six winners from seven starters, including Gee Gee, a winning half sister to Waning Crecent who ran third in the March 5 Miranda Diane Stakes at Will Rogers Downs at Claremore, Oklahoma.
Other prominent Mountain Top Futurity qualifiers include J. Kirk and Judy Robison’s Back Seat Fun, a homebred son of Sporting Chance and the multiple stakes winning Roll Hennessy Roll mare Back Seat Roll, and Rig The Game, a homebred Right Rigger gelding racing for Robert M. Driggers, Del Rae Driggers, and Ben Lee Ivey, and a half brother to multiple stakes winners Bella Dona and Tilla Cat.
The complete list of qualifiers appears in alphabetical order below:
AMERICAN KNIGHT
C, American Anthem-Merlin’s Jewel by Drosselmeyer
Owner: J & SM Inc.; Breeder: Warren Franklin; Trainer: Fred Danley
BACK SEAT FUN
G, Sporting Chance-Back Seat Roll by Roll Hennessy Roll
Owners: J. Kirk and Judy Robison; Breeders: J. Kirk and Judy Robison and Downstream Racing
Trainer: Todd Fincher
BERN DANGER
F, Bernster-Lookinforadanger by Pleasantly Perfect
Owner: Buckway Ranch LLC; Breeder: Gallegos del Norte Racing; Trainer: Todd Fincher
BONNIE MAE’S MARK
F, Marking-Bonnie Mae’s Girl by Monterey Jazz
Owner: Morgan Cox; Breeder: Fincher Racing LLC; Trainer: Sherry Armstrong
HOLY REBEL
G, Holy Lute-Sidewinder Sally by Mr. Gold Mover
Owners: Robert M. Driggers, Del Rae Driggers, and Ben Lee Ivey;
Breeders: Ben Lee Ivey and Robert Driggers; Trainer: Simon Buechler
INEEDAMARKER
F, Marking-Domesday Gal by Dome
Owner and Breeder: Dustin Brooks; Trainer: Todd Fincher
LA BELLA BELLA
F, Runaway Ghost-Laurentide Ice by Intidab
Owners: Lionel Carrasco Onsurez and David Vasquez; Breeder: Mike Abraham;
Trainer: Jose R. Gonzalez Sr.
MARKED KISS
F, Marking-Back Seat Kiss by Roll Hennessy Roll
Owner: Jana Trotter; Breeders: Fred Alexander and Todd Fincher; Trainer: Chris Zamora
RIG THE GAME
G, Right Rigger-Charlotte’s Drone by B.G.’s Drone
Owners: Robert M. Driggers, Del Rae Driggers and Ben Lee Ivey;
Breeders: Robert Driggers and Del Rae Driggers; Trainer: Todd Fincher
WANING CRECENT
G, Right Rigger-Ecouter by Smart Strike
Owner: Tobby J. Therwanger; Breeder: Jacob Thompson; Trainer: Bennie L. “Chip” Woolley Jr.