Diamond And A Half, a 5-year-old daughter of champion First Moonflash racing for Antonio D. Gomez, is one of 10 New Mexico-bred fillies and mares entered in Saturday’s 350-yard, $25,000 Rita Danley Distaff Stakes (R) at Ruidoso Downs.
Diamond And A Half returns to New Mexico from Remington Park in Oklahoma City, where the mare ran third, a neck behind winner HH Gailforce, in the 350-yard, $50,000 Decketta Stakes (G3) on March 20. Diamond And A Half has won six of 20 races and has earned $148,099, and she ended her 4-year-old campaign with a nose victory in the 400-yard, $30,000 New Mexico Filly & Mare Championship (G1) at Zia Park on December 7.
Diamond And A Half drew post 6 and will be ridden by Raul Ramirez Jr. for trainer Jorge Luis Hernandez.
Bertha S. Irigoyen’s Famous Julia will be making her first official start since December 7, when she finished second to Diamond And A Half in the New Mexico Filly & Mare Championship. The 6-year-old daughter of the Dash Ta Fame stallion Dash For Famous earned $50,406 from six outs last year, and her four wins included a 1 1/4-length victory in the 350-yard, $27,000 New Mexico Cup Distaff Stakes (R) at Zia Park on November 9.
Famous Julia drew post 5 and will be ridden by Damian Corral for trainer Rene Saucedo.
The complete lineup, in post position order including jockey assignments:
Kellys First Moon (Adrian Ramos)
Knockout Chick (Luis H. Rodriguez)
Girl With A Plan (Noe Garcia Jr.)
Daddies Lil Darlin (Marcelo Barraza)
Famous Julia (Damien Corral)
Diamond And A Half (Raul Ramirez Jr.)
Fireball Flash (Jaime P. Leos)
Amandas Flashy (Jose A. Alvarez)
Jess To Reel (Joseph Belloc Jr.)
Tina Katerina (Kevin Enriquez-Arenivas)