Three 6-furlong trials on Saturday determined the field for the September 25, $160,000-added New Mexico State Fair Thoroughbred Futurity (R) at Albuquerque Downs.
The three trials were won by Leave Them Behind, Storm Leader (pictured), and Z Marks The Spot. A homebred son of Attila’s Storm racing for J & SM Inc. of Fort Stockton, Texas, Leave Them Behind won the first heat by a half of a length from Better Believe in 1:10.42. Enrique Gomez rode the dark bay or brown gelding for trainer Fred Danley.
Leave Them Behind has won three of five races and has earned $31,405. He is the first start produced by Ivy Gimlet, a multiple stakes placed 8-year-old daughter of the Artax stallion Diabolical. Leave Them Behind’s second dam, the Bernstein mare Toll Taker, won the 2004 Astarita Stakes (G3) for 2-year-old fillies at Belmont Park.
Better Believe is a homebred Marking filly trained by Todd Fincher for owners Lee Lewis and Brad King. Better Believe has earned $108,192 from five outs, and her three wins include the August 14, 5 1/2-furlong Rio Grande Senorita Futurity (R) at Ruidoso Downs.
Storm Leader won the second heat by 1 1/4 lengths in 1:10.07. Alfredo Juarez Jr. rode the homebred Attila’s Storm gelding for owners Mike Abraham, Leslie Amestoy, and Pierre Amestoy Jr., and trainer Todd Fincher.
Storm Leader was coming off of a Ruidoso Downs summer campaign during which he won the June 26, 5-furlong Mountain Top Futurity (R), and the August 14, 5 1/2-furlong Rio Grande Senor Futurity (R). All told, the gelding has won four of five races and has banked $154,196.
Z Marks The Spot, a homebred Marking gelding trained by Todd Fincher for owner Reliance Ranches LLC, won the third trial by a neck in 1:10.53. Christian Ramos rode the chestnut gelding.
Z Marks The Spot is one of three winners from four starters produced by Zesty Salsa, a winning Dome mare who ran third in the 2013 Rio Grande Senorita Futurity (R). The gelding’s second dam, the winning Victory Gallop mare Victory Girl, foaled Excessive Victory, a half brother to Zesty Salsa who won the ’09 La Senora Handicap (R) at Sunland Park.
The top three finishers from the three trials qualified to the final. There will be a shake in the Albuquerque Downs race office to determine the 10th qualifiers from the following three fourth-place finishers: M G Lookingood, Rattila, and Sheza Hailstorm.
Following is a list of nine of the 10 finalists, listed in alphabetical order:
| Horse (Sex, Pedigree) | Owner | Breeder (State) | Trainer |
| AR YA WEEGEE G, To Teras-Silver Stairs by Demidoff | Maurcenia Cross | Maurcenia Cross and Gary Cross (NM) | Gary Cross |
| BETTER BELIEVE F, Marking-Lookin Better by Lookin At Lucky | Lee Lewis and Brad E. King | Lee Lewis and Brad King (NM) | Todd Fincher |
| GEORGE WHO G, Abstraction-Imwiththeblonde by Montbrook | Sam E. Stevens and Sammy L. Stevens | Sam E. Stevens and Sammy L. Stevens (NM) | Todd Fincher |
| LEAVE THEM BEHIND G, Attila’s Storm-Ivy Gimlet by Diabolical | J & SM Inc. | J & SM Inc. | Fred Danley |
| MUSICS MY VICE G, Marking-Music In The Storm by Trial By Jury | Joe Dee Brooks and R. Lee Lewis | Stephen Jamison (NM) | Todd Fincher |
| NACHO GRANDE G, Dome-She’s A Vision by Pollard’s Vision | Luis Quintana | M.H. Carson, W.L. Mooring, and Dee Mooring (NM) | Filiberto Quiroz |
| NEW MEXICO JEREMY G, Shame On Charlie-Tia Tia by Pine Bluff | Stable H.M.A. | Greg Green and Delinda Green (NM) | Bart Hone |
| STORM LEADER G, Attila’s Storm-Our Flying Angel by Abajo | Mike Abraham, Leslie Amestoy, and Pierre J. Amestoy Jr. | Pierre Amestoy, Leslie Amestoy, and Mike Abraham (NM) | Todd Fincher |
| Z MARKS THE SPOT G, Marking-Zesty Salsa by Dome | Reliance Ranches LLC | Reliance Ranches LLC (NM) | Todd Fincher |