Thirty-three state-bred 2-year-old Quarter Horses are entered in Friday’s 350-yard New Mexico Breeders’ Futurity (RG3) trials at SunRay Park.
Trainer Brad Bolen will send out recent maiden winners Jesse Special Doll and Rocasolida Esperance. A $6,000 yearling purchase by owner Debra M. Gotovac of Midland, Texas, at last year’s New Mexico-Bred Sale, Jesse Special Doll made her career debut with a neck victory at odds of 16-1 in a 300-yard, $17,500 maiden-special-weight dash for state-breds at SunRay Park on April 23.
Jesse Special Doll is a daughter of Jesse James Jr out of the Eyesa Special mare Eyesa Special Doll. The filly drew the rail post and will be ridden by Alejandro Medina in the first of four trials.
Rocasolida Esperance is a Rock Solid Jess filly racing for Donald Cabrera and Linda Weiss. Rocasolida Esperance made her debut with a clear 1 1/4-length win in a 300-yard, $14,000 maiden-special-weight race at SunRay Park on April 24.
Rocasolida Esperance is out of Esperance, a winning Eyesa Special mare. The filly drew post 3 and will be ridden by Joel Leyva in the fourth heat.
Other prominent New Mexico-bred 2-year-olds entered in Friday’s trials include Diamond Racing Stables’ Antinori, a sorrel daughter of Big Daddy Cartel and a $15,000 purchase at last year’s Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale. Antinori has earned $4,309 from two outs at Turf Paradise, and she is coming off of a fourth-place finish, 1 1/4 lengths behind winner BF Shes Outrageous, in the 300-yard, $60,610 Desert Classic Futurity (R) on April 28.
Antinori drew post 2 and will be ridden by Sergio Becerra Jr. for trainer Eric Valenzuela in the third trial.
The 10 fastest qualifiers will meet in the May 23, $60,000-added New Mexico Breeders’ Futurity final.