Call Me Jessiecartel (pictured) is the fastest qualifier to the July 23, $386,720 Zia Futurity (RG1) for New Mexico-bred 2-year-old Quarter Horses at Ruidoso Downs.
On July 7, Call Me Jessiecartel won the last of 12 400-yard trials by a half of a length from third-fastest qualifier Bigg Curlie Bill while stopping the timer in :20.007, a clocking accomplished against a reported 10-mph head wind. Sergio Becerra Jr. rode the sorrel son of Jess A Chicks for owners Empire Racing and Pavon Racing LLC, and trainer Eric Valenzuela.
Call Me Jessiecartel was bred by Mike Abraham. The gelding is out of Lilly Cartel, a daughter of the Holland Ease stallion Corona Cartel. His second dam, the First Down Dash mare Corona Kool, was the AQHA champion 2-year-old filly in 1999, and she was the sport’s champion aged mare in ’01.
Call Me Jessiecartel was purchased as a yearling for $23,000 at last year’s New Mexico-Bred Sale. The gelding has won two of his five starts and has earned $77,295, and his resume includes a second-place finish, one length behind winner Daddysqueenofalice, in the 350-yard, $340,666 Mountain Top Futurity (RG2) at Ruidoso Downs on June 18.
JM Johnny B Good, the second-fastest qualifier, won the 11th heat by 1 1/4 lengths from 10th-fastest qualifier and graded stakes winner Crispyn. Prepped by Alfredo Gomez and ridden by Hector Aldrete for owner Ventura M Ranch LLC, the son of the Walk Thru Fire stallion JM Specialwynn went 400 yards in :20.017 against a reported 12-mph head wind.
JM Johnny B Good was bred by J & M Racing and Farm. The bay colt is out of PYC Ferarri Prize, a winning PYC Paint Your Wagon mare. He traces back to his third dam, Fast First Prize, a daughter of Heza Fast Man who won the 2002 Heritage Place Futurity (G1) at Remington Park.
JM Johnny B Good was winning for the first time in two starts and increasing his earnings to $6,400.
Third-fastest qualifier Bigg Curlie Bill is a gray son of Big Daddy Cartel trained by James Gonzales II for owner Roybal Racing LLC. A $50,000 buy at last year’s Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale, the gelding was bred by Mac and Janis Murray’s MJ Farms at Veguita, New Mexico, and he is out of Curlie Cue, a stakes-winning First Down Dash mare.
Bigg Curlie Bill has won one of his four outs and has banked $13,850.
Eight of the 10 Zia Futurity finalists qualified from the last three trials. The complete list of qualifiers appears below:
| Horse (Sex, Pedigree) | Owner | Breeder (State) | Trainer | Time |
| CALL ME JESSIECARTEL G, Jess A Chicks-Lilly Cartel by Corona Cartel | Empire Racing and Pavon Racing LLC | Mike Abraham (NM) | Eric Valenzuela | :20.007 |
| JM JOHNNY B GOOD C, JM Specialwynn-PYC Ferarri Prize by PYC Paint Your Wagon | Ventura M Ranch LLC | J & M Racing and Farm | Alfredo Gomez | :20.017 |
| BIGG CURLIE BILL G, Big Daddy Cartel-Curlie Cue by First Down Dash | Roybal Racing LLC | MJ Farms (NM) | James Gonzales II | :20.076 |
| BLOODREDANDGOINGDOWN G, Jet Black Patriot-Red Texas Sunset by Mr Jess Perry | Mike D. Bridges and Terri Bridges | Copper Spring Ranch (NM) | Clint Crawford | :20.104 |
| BLACK JACK PATRIOT G, Jet Black Patriot-Lasting Episode by First Down Dash | Triple Enterprises Inc. | Juan Vizcaino (NM) | Ricardo Armendariz Jr. | :20.139 |
| WHISKEY WHISKEY G, JM Specialwynn-Effortless Eagle by One Famous Eagle | Nahum Prieto | Nahum Prieto (NM) | Ramon Mendoza | :20.149 |
| DADS RACY TE G, Big Daddy Cartel-Jessa Techick by Mr Jess Perry | Kimberly Skaggs | Mark & Peggy Brown (NM) | Mark Brown | :20.178 |
| LOOSE AND LETHAL F, Jesse James Jr-Easily Lethal by Corona Cartel | Mark & Peggy Brown | Mark & Peggy Brown (NM) | Mark Brown | :20.182 |
| YOUNG EMPEROR G, Eye Am King-Ima China Rush by Rushago | Martin Ybarra | MJ Farms (NM) | Eric Valenzuela | :20.187 |
| CRISPYN G, A Royal Jess-First Place Cartel by Corona Cartel | MRB Racing LLC | MRB Racing LLC (NM) | Manuel Rodolfo Rodriguez | :20.189 |