Cavanaugh Quarter Horses’ Woodys Gold (pictured winning his trial) is the fastest qualifier to the September 20, $500,000-est. New Mexico State Fair Quarter Horse Futurity (RG3) at Albuquerque Downs.
Ridden by Francisco Calderon for trainer Clint Crawford, Woodys Gold on Friday won the fourth of six trials by three-quarters of a length from second-fastest qualifier Devils Cut. The gelded son of Woodbridge covered 400 yards in :19.610 while scoring his second win in five starts, all in New Mexico.
A $10,000 yearling purchase at last year’s New Mexico-Bred Sale at Ruidoso Downs, Woodys Gold was bred by Mac and Janis Murray’s MJ Farms at Veguita, New Mexico. The gelding is out of All About Gold (TB), a winning daughter of the Forty Niner (TB) stallion Gold Case.
Woodys Gold has earned $137,503, and his record includes second-place finishes in the June 13, 350-yard Mountain Top Futurity (RG2), and the July 26, 400-yard Zia Futurity (RG1), both at Ruidoso Downs.
Second-fastest qualifier Devils Cut was prepped by Bret Vickery and ridden by Jose Amador Alvarez for owner Lex A. Fabrizio. A homebred son of the Corona Cartel stallion Eye On Corona, the black gelding has won one of four outs and has banked $7,306.
Devils Cut is out of Wortherweightingold, a winning daughter of First Down Dash who ran third in the ’08 PCQHRA Breeders’ Derby (G3) at Los Alamitos.
Third-fastest qualifier Your Easy Jess won the third heat by 1 3/4 lengths as the 4-5 favorite. Trained by Jesus Marquez and ridden by Edgar Martinez for owner Armando Alamos, the Jess A Chicks gelding went 400 yards in :19.779 while earning his second win in four races.
Your Easy Jess was bred by Mike Abraham, and he was a $5,000 yearling buy at last year’s New Mexico-Bred Sale. The gelding’s second dam, the Holland Ease mare Honor Ease, was a multiple graded stakes winner from 1997-2000, and she ran third in the 1997 All American Futurity (G1).
The New Mexico State Fair Futurity is restricted to state-bred 2-year-olds. The complete list of qualifiers appears below:
| Horse (Sex, Pedigree) | Owner | Breeder (State) | Trainer | Time |
| WOODYS GOLD G, Woodbridge-All About Gold (TB) by Gold Case (TB) | Cavenaugh Quarter Horses LLC | MJ Farms (NM) | Clint Crawford | :19.610 |
| DEVILS CUT G, Eye On Corona-Wortherweightingold by First Down Dash | Lex A. Fabrizio | Lex A. Fabrizio (NM) | Bret Vickery | :19.714 |
| YOUR EASY JESS G, Jess A Chicks-Easy Your Honor by Mr Jess Perry | Armando Alamos | Mike Abraham (NM) | Jesus E. Marquez | :19.779 |
| CARTEL CAMBRIA F, Big Daddy Cartel-Fdd Cambria by Fdd Dynasty | Daniel Nunez and Ernesto Fierro | MJ Farms (NM) | Sergio Ibarra | :19.855 |
| WESTERN SANDMAN G, Saturday Nite Romeo-Queen Lavita by Dean Miracle | Lonnie H. Vaughn | Lonnie H. Vaughn (NM) | Lonnie Vaughn | :19.865 |
| CELERITY BABY F, Big Daddy Cartel-Babydoll La Jolla by Streakin La Jolla | Nadine Maben | Currie J. Maben Estate (NM) | Bernard Baca | :19.895 |
| BIG DADDYS DREAM F, Big Daddy Cartel-Call My Dream by Calligrapher | Benjamin Calderon | Richard or Patricia Shearer (NM) | Umberto Belloc | :19.905 |
| FANNCEE F, Big Daddy Cartel-Astica by Jesse James Jr | MJ Farms | MJ Farms (NM) | Wes Giles | :19.931 |
| RCJ MAJOR CARTEL F, Big Daddy Cartel-Major Kia by Major Rime | Dirk Jones | R.C. Jones (NM) | Fred Danley | :19.950 |
| HES A MAJOR CHICK G, Jess A Chicks-A Major Chamisa by Major Rime | Luis Hernandez | Mike Abraham (NM) | Sergio Ibarra | :19.986 |