New Mexico Breeders Futurity tops Saturday card at SunRay Park
FARMINGTON – A field of 10 state-bred quarter horses will head into the starting gate Saturday at SunRay Park and Casino, each looking for a first career stakes victory in the New Mexico Breeders’ Futurity.
Worth $238,363, the 350-yard test will go as the 10th and final race on a card that also features the Four Corners Futurity for open quarter horses from across the Southwest.
Trainer Eric Valenzuela will send Big Ted (pictured) to the gate as the fastest qualifier for the New Mexico Breeders’ Futurity, which has a scheduled post time of 5:35 p.m.
Owned by Tungsten Racing Partnership and slated to be ridden by Jordy Muniz, Big Ted earned the fastest qualifier role during trials held April 24. The son of TF Im That Guy won his trial heat by 1 1/4 lengths and stopped the clock in 17.21 seconds.
Valenzuela, currently tied for second in the quarter horse trainer standings at SunRay Park, topped the standings with 16 winners during the Sunland Park season that wrapped up last month. He already has a pair of stakes wins with 2-year-olds this year, having won the $389,493 New Mexican Spring Futurity with Bridger, as well as the $100,000 New Mexican Spring Fling Stakes with Baby Daddy Cartel at Sunland Park.
Big Ted, bred in New Mexico by Jaime Cervantes, is one of two likely starters for Valenzuela in the New Mexico Breeders’ Futurity. He also saddled Super Patriot to a win in his trial heat, earning the 10th-fastest qualifying position.
Drawn in the outside post, Big Ted will be looking for his third win in four lifetime starts. He was third in the New Mexican Spring Futurity two starts back and has earned more than $54,000.
Trainer Wes Giles will also have a pair of starters: King of the Jingle, the third-fastest qualifier, and Thats Amoree, the sixth-fastest qualifier. Both won their respective trial heats.
King of the Jingle, a $210,000 yearling purchase by owners Melvin and Susan Neugebauer, will be making his third start of the season. He ran second on April 10, opening day of the current season, before winning his trial heat. With Luis Valenzuela slated to ride, King of the Jingle will break from post five.
Thats Amoree, owned by Ezra Elton Lee, won his trial by nearly two lengths and will be ridden by Noe Garcia from post seven.
Saturday and Sunday mark the final two days of the SunRay Park season. Live racing in New Mexico resumes at Albuquerque Downs, which will host the 2026 Ruidoso Downs season beginning Friday, May 22.
Post positions and riders for the N.M. Breeders Futurity
1 Splitting Aces (Sergio Becerra, Jr.)
2 Super Patriot (Jose Enriquez)
3 Royal Dynasty MRB (Luis Martinez)
4 Perrys Alibi (Jaime Leos)
5 King of the Jingle (Luis Valenzuela)
6 Suspicious Rizzler (Jacob Enriquez)
7 Thats Amoree (Noe Garcia, Jr.)
8 Dahlias Destiny (Christian Ramos)
9 Eye Am Super (Oscar Andrade, Jr.)
10 Big Ted (Jordy Muniz)
AE11 Don Good Lookin (Jose Ortiz)
AE12 Royal Pour TF (Noe Garcia, Jr.)
Photo of Big Ted courtesy Coady Media