Digger’s Gold and Jornalero won the two 5 1/2-furlong Rio Grande Senor Futurity (R) trials contested at Ruidoso Downs on Friday.
Trained by Todd Fincher for owner Helen Nave, Digger’s Gold (pictured) rallied to win the first heat by three-quarters of a length from first-time starter Right Jab. Shane Laviolette rode the homebred son of Quinton’s Gold, who covered his 5 1/2-furlong trip in 1:06.71.
Digger’s Gold has won one of his two starts and has earned $2,600. The gelding is one of eight winners from 11 starters produced by Pot Of Concern, an unraced daughter of the Broad Brush stallion Concern and a half sister to stakes winner Tromso. Digger’s Gold is a full brother to Mr. Digger, the winner of the 2015 Totah Stakes (R) at SunRay Park.
Jornalero won the second trial by 1 3/4 lengths in 1:04.85. Luis Rodriguez rode the bay son of the Peace Rules stallion Chipshot for owner US Alliance Logistic and trainer Arnulfo Ascencio Jr.
A $4,000 yearling purchases at last year’s New Mexico-Bred Sale at Ruidoso Downs, Jornalero is the first winner from three starters foaled by Dixie Warrior, a winning daughter of the Danzig stallion War Front. His second dam, the Dixie Union mare Hitchin, is a half sister to three stakes-placed runners, including Stint and Join.
Jornalero was bred by Stephen R. Brown.
Other key Senor Futurity qualifiers include Dale F. Taylor Racing LLC’s My Storm Warrior and Aisle Runner, a homebred son of Attila’s Storm owned by Joan Dale Hubbard and Paul Blanchard.
My Storm Warrior ran third in the first trial. The homebred gelding was coming off of a victory in the 5-furlong, $163,000 Mountain Top Futurity (R) on June 20.
Aisle Runner finished second to Jornalero in the second heat. A finalist in the Mountain Top Futurity, the gelding is a full brother to two New Mexico-bred stakes winners, Stormy Day and Go For A Stroll.
The $125,000-est. Rio Grande Senor Futurity will be run on August 16. The complete list of finalists appears in alphabetical order below:
| Horse (Sex, Pedigree) | Owner | Breeder (State) | Trainer |
| AISLE RUNNER G, Attila’s Storm-Garter by Bernardini | Joan Dale Hubbard and Paul Blanchard | R.D. Hubbard (NM) | Todd Fincher |
| CHEESE TRAY C, Attila’s Storm-Road To Reason by Redattore (BRZ) | Kirk and Judy Robison | J. Kirk and Judy Robison (NM) | Todd Fincher |
| DELBERT TOO G, Marking-On Stride by Ghostly Moves | B4 Farms LLC, Lee Owens, and Dale Alan Doby | Fred Alexander (NM) | Todd Fincher |
| DIABOLICAL PACKAGE G, Diabolical-Complete Package by Boundary | Kirk and Judy Robison | J. Kirk and Judy Robison (NM) | Todd Fincher |
| DIGGER’S GOLD G, Quinton’s Gold-Pot Of Concern by Concern | Helen Nave | Helen Nave (NM) | Todd Fincher |
| JORNALERO C, Chipshot-Dixie Warrior by War Front | US Alliance Logistic | Stephen R. Brown (NM) | Arnulfo Ascencio Jr. |
| MY STORM WARRIOR G, Attila’s Storm-Key To My Warrior by Majestic Warrior | Dale F. Taylor Racing LLC | Dale & Debbie Taylor (NM) | Todd Fincher |
| PUB G, Attila’s Storm-Cocktail Girl by Hennessy | Joan Dale Hubbard and Paul Blanchard | R.D. Hubbard (NM) | Todd Fincher |
| RIGHT JAB G, Right Rigger-Lindy Hoppin by Suave | Martin Riley, D. Carroll, C. Scott, and J. Howard | Penley Leonard (NM) | Casey Lambert |
| SMOOTH BLUES G, Monterey Jazz-Rodinia by Bluegrass Cat | Jana Trotter | Dr. Patricia Davis (NM) | Casey Lambert |