Call Me Jessiecartel, a gelded son of the Chicks A Blazin stallion Jess A Chicks racing for Empire Racing and Pavon Racing LLC, is the fastest qualifier to the June 18, $340,165 Mountain Top Quarter Horse Futurity (RG2) for state-bred 2-year-olds at Ruidoso Downs.
Racing against a reported 9-mph head wind on June 2, Call Me Jessiecartel won the fourth of 13 350-yard trials by three-quarters of a length from fourth-fastest qualifier Patriotic View while stopping the timer in :17.762. Sergio Becerra Jr. rode the sorrel gelding for 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 champion aged mare two years later.
Call Me Jessiecartel was winning for the first time in three races and increasing her earnings to $11,175.
Second-fastest qualifier Da Edge Of Gray made his debut with a 1 1/2-length victory in the 13th heat. Prepped by James Gonzales II for owner Rex Wells, the gray son of Big Daddy Cartel covered 350 yards in :17.795. Mario Delgado rode the gelding.
Da Edge Of Gray was bred by Mac and Janis Murray’s MJ Farms at Veguita, New Mexico, and he was purchased as a yearling by Wells for $59,000 at last year’s New Mexico-Bred Sale at Ruidoso Downs. The gelding is out of Da Edge, a daughter of AQHA champion Separatist who won the ‘’08 Lubbock Stakes (G2) at Zia Park.
Da Edge Of Gray’s second dam, the First Down Dash mare Deelish, was the sport’s champion 2-year-old filly in 1998 and champion aged mare in 2000.
Chicka Boom Babe, the third-fastest qualifier, won the seventh heat by a half of a length in :17.906. Adrian Ramos rode the Chicks Regard filly for owners Robert M. Driggers and Ben Lee Ivey, and trainer Wes Giles.
Chicka Boom Babe was bred by Ivey Cattle Co. The gray filly is out of Riverside Babe, a homebred winning daughter of 2009 AQHA champion aged stallion First Moonflash.
Chicka Boom Babe has won three of four starts and has banked $17,560, and she was a finalist in the May 20, 350-yard New Mexico Breeders’ Futurity (RG3) at SunRay Park.
The complete list of Mountain Top Futurity finalists 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 | :17.762 |
| DA EDGE OF GRAY G, Big Daddy Cartel-Da Edge by Separatist | Rex Wells | MJ Farms (NM) | James Gonzales II | :17.795 |
| CHICKA BOOM BABE F, Chicks Regard-Riverside Babe by First Moonflash | Robert M. Driggers and Ben Lee Ivey | Ivey Cattle Co. (NM) | Wes Giles | :17.906 |
| PATRIOTIC VIEW G, Jet Black Patriot-Aviewfromthefront by Corona Cartel | Randy and Sandy Coleman | Randy and Sandy Coleman (NM) | Cody Noel | :17.908 |
| BIGG SHADES OF GRAYG, Eye Am King-Bigg Alice by Big Daddy Cartel | Marcelino Gonzalez and Super Champion Inc. | MJ Farms (NM) | Eric Valenzuela | :17.926 |
| KELLY ISA CHICK F, Jess A Chicks-Corona Kelly by Corona Cartel | Eusebio Martinez | Mike Abraham (NM) | Eric Valenzuela | :17.933 |
| UNTANGLED QUEEN F, Eye Am King-Tangled Vines by Dash Ta Fame | Triple R Racing Stables LLC and Azucena Mendoza | MJ Farms (NM) | James Gonzales II | :17.972 |
| DADDYSQUEENOFALICE F, Big Daddy Cartel-Alice K White by First Down Dash | Triple R Racing Stables LLC and Kim Middleton | MJ Farms (NM) | James Gonzales II | :17.982 |
| OVER DA EDGE F, Eye Am King-Da Edge by Separatist | Manuel Y. Gallegos and Mauricio Gallegos | MJ Farms (NM) | Eric Valenzuela | :17.995 |
| BLACK JACK PATRIOT G, Jet Black Patriot-Lasting Episode by First Down Dash | Triple Enterprises Inc. | Juan Vizcaino (NM) | Ricardo Armendariz Jr. | :17.995 |