Cristom Tops The Qualifiers to the July 26, $375,000 Zia Quarter Horse Futurity

Cristom (pictured), a sorrel son of Jesse James Jr and a $150,000 purchase at last year’s Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale, is the fastest qualifier to the July 26, $375,000 Zia Futurity (RG1) for New Mexico-bred 2-year-old Quarter Horses.

Racing in the last of 11 400-yard trials at Ruidoso Downs on Friday, Cristom defeated non-qualifier Bigg Dee by a cleaer 2 1/2 lengths in :19.764. Noe Garcia Jr. rode the gelding for owners J & SM Inc., Don Reynolds, and M. Lane Reynolds, and trainer Fred Danley.

“All I had to do was sit on him,” said Garcia, who has ridden Cristom in both of his races. “I whistled and tapped him just to keep his focus because he was on the outside and was really all alone out there. We were racing the clock as much as the other horses.

“I felt like we were going to qualify,” the rider added. “I was more tired than the horse at the end.”

Cristom was bred by Mac and Janis Murray’s MJ Farms at Veguita, New Mexico. The gelding is out of Alice K White, the AQHA champion 3-year-old filly in 2009, and he is a full brother to 2015 AQHA champion 3-year-old filly Astica.

”From the very beginning, this has been a very nice colt,” said Danley. “We all got together and picked him out of the (Ruidoso) sale, and the colt has done everything right.”

Cristom has won both of his outs and has banked $8,100. He made his debut with a wire-to-wire, 1 3/4-length victory in a 300-yard maiden-special-weight dash for New Mexico-breds on June 21.

MJ Farms bred six of the 10 Zia Futurity qualifiers, including second-fastest qualifier Vine Master and third-fastest qualifier Fanncee. A gelded son of Jesse James Jr trained by James J. Gonzales II for owner Cody Cobb, Vine Master won the fifth heat by three-quarters of a length from eighth-fastest qualifier Fly On Down. Sergio Becerra Jr. rode Vine Master, who covered 400 yards in :19.872 while aided by a reported 9-mph tail wind.

Vine Master was purchased by Cobb for $34,000 at last year’s New Mexico-Bred Sale. The gelding has won all three of his outs, including the 300-yard, $50,000 Mountain Top Juvenile Stakes (R) on June 13.

A daughter of Big Daddy Cartel and champion Astica, Fanncee broke her maiden with a half-length victory in the 10^th trial. Alan Hernandez rode the filly for owner MJ Farms and trainer Wes Giles.

The complete list of finalists appears below: