Thirty New Mexico-bred 2-year-olds are entered in Friday’s 5-furlong Mountain Top Thoroughbred Futurity (R) trials at Ruidoso Downs.
The lone stakes winner among the trial entries, Nostrangrtotherain, will be stretching out in distance off of his wire-to-wire, two-length victory in the 4 1/2-furlong, $100,000 C.O. “Ken” Kendrick Memorial Stakes (R) for state-breds at SunRay Park on May 8. Cliff Lambert Sr. trains the Shame On Charlie gelding for owners Jimmy Powers and Rebecca Powers.
Nostrangrtotherain drew the rail post and will be ridden by Miguel Perez in the second of three trials.
Trainer Todd Fincher will send out 14 Mountain Top hopefuls, including first-time starters Crossfire Cowgirl, Vipers Princess, and High Dollar Hush. A homebred daughter of Marking owned by Dale F. Taylor Racing LLC, Crossfire Cowgirl is one of seven foals produced by Key To My Warrior, a winning Majestic Warrior mare and a half sister to Love N’ Kiss S., the winner of the 2001 Pebbles Handicap (G3) at Belmont Park. Crossfire Cowgirl is a full sister to 2021 Rio Grande Senor Futurity (R) winner Mark’s Warrior and a half to 2020 Mountain Top Thoroughbred Futurity (R) winner My Storm Warrior.
Crossfire Cowgirl drew post 2 and will be ridden by Rigo Sarmiento in the first heat.
Vipers Princess races for Joe Dee Brooks and Lee Lewis. A daughter of the Desert God stallion Proceed, the bay filly is one of 11 foals produced by the stakes-winning Devon Lane mare Vipervapor, and she is a half sister to 10-time stakes winner Diabolical Dame.
Vipers Princess drew post 10 and will be ridden by Christian Ramos in the second trial.
High Dollar Hush is a daughter of Attila’s Storm campaigned by Pierre and Leslie Amestoy of Albuquerque. The filly is out of Hush’s Gold, an Untold Gold mare who won two New Mexico-bred futurities in 2004, and she is a full sister to multiple stakes winner Hush’s Storm.
High Dollar Hush drew post 2 and will be ridden by Christian Ramos in the third heat.
All but five of the Mountain Top Thoroughbred Futurity trial entries will be making their first career starts. The $150,000-est. final will be run June 26.