Luxurie rallies late for win in Mountain Top Futurity
Jockey Christian Cardenas and Luxurie had enough left in the tank to narrowly prevail in the $346,008 Mountain Top New Mexico Bred QH Futurity on Sunday at Ruidoso Downs.
The 2-year-old son of Big Daddy Cartel, owned by the team of Triple R Racing Stables LLC, Wallace Lynn Landrum, Ted Rushing and Rancho El 48 LLC, broke well from his midpack post, engaged for the lead midway down the stretch and held off the late challenge of King of the Tide and jockey Ricky Ramirez to earn his second win from as many starts.
Luxurie, trained by James J. Gonzalez III, ran the 350 yards in a final time of 17.59 seconds, earning an Equibase Speed Index figure of 91. The margin of victory for Luxurie was a head in front of King of the Tide, who rallied fast from his outside post but just missed in the photo.
Bred by MJ Farms, Luxurie was a $300,000 purchase at the 2024 Ruidoso New Mexico Bred QH Yearling Sale. He is out of multiple stakes winning Astica, a Jesse James Jr mare who earned more than $411,000 in her racing career including victories in the Grade 2 Zia Derby as well as the Grade 2 Lou Wooten and Sydney Valentini Handicap and the Grade 1 New Mexico Fillies and Mares Championship Stakes.
Astica’s dam, Alice K White, was a multiple stakes winner as well, capturing the 2009 Golden State Derby at Los Alamitos and the Grade 2 La Primera Del Ano Derby.
Jesse James Jr, currently standing at Mj Farms, has also produced multiple stakes winners Major Bites, Colby James and Osbaldo.
Luxurie earned his way into the Mountain Top Futurity when he finished in a deadheat for the win with Holliday in a trial heat held here on May 30. The top pair each earned a time of 17.72 seconds and came into the Futurity tied for the fourth-fastest qualifying time for the race.
Sunday’s win in the Futurity gives Luxurie a perfect record in two starts with earnings of more than $149,000.
Sent off at odds of 5-to-1, Luxurie returned $12 to his winning backers. The $2 exacta with King of the Tide paid back $98.40.
Jingle Wood, the fastest qualifier for the Mountain Top Futurity, broke in a bit of a tangle under jockey Jacob Enriquez but rallied late to finish third as the 7-to-5 post time favorite. Holliday rounded out the top four finishers.
Earlier in the day, jockey Luis Flores-Garcia guided Dyna Mo Chimes to a narrow win in the $50,000 Mountain Top New Mexico Bred Juvenile Stakes for trainer Eric Valenzuela.
The daughter of Rime Chimes rallied down the stretch from her outside post, tagging You Just Got Mooned at the wire to win by a head as the lukewarm post time favorite.
Owned by the Tungsten Racing Partnership and breeder Carlos Paez, Dyna Mo Chimes ran her way into the Juvenile Stakes winning her trial heat on May 30. She now has recorded two wins from four career starts with earnings of nearly $29,000.
Rime Chimes, currently standing at Armstrong Equine Services, was a four-time winner from 17 career starts including a victory in the Namehimastreaker New Mexico Classic Championship Stakes who retired with earnings of more than $188,000. The dam, Dyna Mo Rime, is by Major Rime, who earned more than $278,000 in his racing career and has produced runners with earnings of more than $3.3 million.
Dyna Mo Chimes paid back $8.60 to her winning backers. The $2 exacta with You Just Got Mooned returned $77. Hez Rio Trouble finished third with Miracle Patriot Jet rounding out the top four finishers.