Jose R. Espinosa’s Legende (pictured), a gelded son of Big Daddy Cartel and a $53,000 purchase at the 2020 Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale, leads the qualifiers into the June 18, $165,098 Mountain Top Quarter Horse Derby (R) for state-bred 3-year-old Quarter Horses.
At Ruidoso Downs on June 4, Legende scored a wire-to-wire, 1 1/4-length victory in the fourth of six trials, as the sorrel gelding went 350 yards in :17.886 while racing against a reported 10-mph head wind. Adrian Ramos rode Legende for trainer Wes Giles.
Legende was bred by Mac and Janis Murray’s MJ Farms. Raced in two starts, including Texas and Louisiana, he has won two of eight starts and has earned $23,760.
Day Thuggin, a homebred Big Daddy Cartel gelding racing for Jason T. Giles and the second-fastest qualifier, won the first heat by 1 3/4 lengths. Racing into a reported 15-mph head wind, Day Thuggin covered 350 yards in :18.001. Adrian Ramos rode the brown gelding for trainer Wes Giles.
Day Thuggin was a finalist in last year’s New Mexico State Fair Futurity (RG3) at Albuquerque Downs. He has won two of eight races and has banked $15,837.
Third-fastest qualifier Big Crush BB ran second to Legende in the fourth trial. Ridden by Jose Enrique Ortiz for owner Box K Racing and trainer Seth Ferguson, the Big Daddy Cartel colt stopped the timer in :18.058.
Big Crush BB was bred by Ralph Vincent and Beverly Bourguet. The colt has won two of nine outs and has earned $59,415, and his record includes a third-place finish in last year’s New Mexico State Fair Futurity.
The complete list of finalists appears below:
| Horse (Sex, Pedigree) | Owner | Breeder (State) | Trainer | Time |
| LEGENDE G, Big Daddy Cartel-Alice K White by First Down Dash | Jose R. Espinosa | MJ Farms (NM) | Wes Giles | :17.886 |
| DAY THUGGIN G, Big Daddy Cartel-Wiggle Wiggle Wiggle by Maknmoves | Jason T. Giles | Jason T. Giles (NM) | Wes Giles | :18.001 |
| BIG CRUSH BB C, Big Daddy Cartel-Eagles First Down by One Famous Eagle | Box K Racing | Ralph Vincent and Beverly Bourguet (NM) | Seth Ferguson | :18.058 |
| CLASSY MOON G, First Moonflash-Shez Classy Now by Now I Know | Bob McClure and Sissie McClure | Bob & Sissie McClure (NM) | Fred Danley | :18.088 |
| RIVER FLASH G, Chicks Regard-Riverside Flash by First Moonflash | Robert M. Driggers and Ben Lee Ivey | Ivey Cattle Co. (NM) | Wes Giles | :18.098 |
| HUNKY MCGOO G, Big Daddy Cartel-Physical Touch by Heza Fast Dash | William R. Robertson and Mary Robertson | William or Mary Robertson (NM) | Jackie Riddle | :18.115 |
| RUN TIME F, Big Daddy Cartel-First Prize Amanda by DMNV Mountable | Ezra Elton Lee | Ezra Elton Lee (NM) | Wes Giles | :18.134 |
| LMG FIRST CALL G, First Moonflash-Call Me 333 by One Sweet Jess | LMG Racing Inc. | LMG Racing Inc. (NM) | Mike Joiner | :18.166 |
| DADDIES WISH F, Big Daddy Cartel-Wish You Had One To by Stel Corona | Julie A. Schoenhofer and Maricela Vasquez | MJ Farms (NM) | Eric Valenzuela | :18.178 |
| FLASHIN THE IVORY C, First Moonflash-Special Dark Ivory by Ivory James | Leslie A. Amestoy and Pierre Amestoy | Mike Abraham and Grant Farms (NM) | James Lackey | :18.181 |