Gonzalez Racing LLC’s Kellys First Moon, a daughter of 2009 AQHA champion aged stallion First Moonflash, is the 3-1 morning-line choice for Saturday’s 350-yard, $50,000 Mountain Top Juvenile Stakes (R) for New Mexico-bred 2-year-old Quarter Horses at Ruidoso Downs.
A $20,000 yearling purchase at last year’s New Mexico-Bred Sale, Kellys First Moon made her debut with a second-place finish, a three-quarters of a length behind Leading Cartel, in the eighth Mountain Top Futurity trial on May 29. The filly is out of Corona Kelly, a winning 8-year-old daughter of Corona Cartel. Her third dam, the Tolltac mare Jumping Tac Flash, won the 1993 Miss Kindergarten Futurity (G2) at Los Alamitos.
Kellys First Moon drew post 2 and will be ridden by Juan Rivas for trainer Juan M. Gonzalez.
Cody Cobb’s Vine Master, a $34,000 yearling buy at last year’s New Mexico-Bred Sale, drew post 9 and will be ridden by Sergio Becerra Jr. for trainer James J. Gonzales II. The Jesse James Jr gelding made his debut with a neck victory as the 7-5 favorite in the third Mountain Top trial.
The complete lineup, in post position order including jockey assignments and morning-line odds:
Affinity Eagle (Adrian Ramos), 12-1
Kellys First Moon (Juan C. Rivas), 3-1
Riverside Moonbeam (Alan Hernandez), 8-1
Star Bridge (Mario Delgado), 20-1
Roxxie (Francisco Calderon), 15-1
Tres Of Daddy (Joseph Belloc Jr.), 10-1
Winner Takes It All (Esgar Ramirez), 15-1
Fly On Down (Manuel Gutierrez), 9-2
Vine Master (Sergio Becerra Jr.), 6-1
Bigg Dee (Felipe Garcia-Luna), 7-2
AE-Nolans Dragon (Michael Ybarra), 20-1