RUIDOSO DOWNS, NM—AUGUST 19, 2022—Jes An Angel, a two-year-old Texas Bred Filly, held off a challenge by Sicario V in the 11th race to win and qualify with the fastest time on day 1 for the $3 million All American Futurity at Ruidoso Downs Race Track.
The two horses finished one-two on the list of five contenders that will advance to the 440-yard final of Labor Day, September 5. All the trials were contested over a “sloppy” racecourse.
With jockey Bryan Candanosa aboard Jes An Angel recorded a time of :21.257 seconds for 440-yards. Sicario V with jockey Juan Pulido finished a neck behind and qualified second in a time of :21.302 seconds, a 96-speed index into a 3-mph crosswind.
“My filly felt the other horse coming and pinned her ears back and wouldn’t let her by,” Candanosa said. “This is a very honest filly—she wants to perform and showed that she’s very competitive.”
Jes An Angel was purchased by owner Lance Moore of Midlothian, Texas for $10,000 at the 2021 Heritage Place September Yearling Sale in Oklahoma.
“I remember it was late in evening at the sale and I happened to still be there and was interested in this filly and somehow got her purchased,” Moore said. “She’s been a solid filly from the beginning making the finals of four stakes races.”
Moore said the filly had earned the opportunity to run in the All American trials from her previous races in Texas. That’s why he agreed to pony-up the $50,000 late-supplemental fee to enter her in the All American Futurity trials.
“She’s earned this, and it’s paid off for all of us,” Moore said.
Jes An Angel, sired by multiple stakes sire Jess Zoomin, has five wins in seven career starts including the Old South Futurity at Delta Downs. She has earned $104,334.
She is out of the Ms Kates Angel, by First Down Dash, who is a half-sister to four black type including champion 2-year-old filly Kates Dynasty and stakes winner and multiple stakes sire Texas Icon.
Jes An Angel paid $7.00, $4.40, and $3.00 to win.
Runner-up in the fastest trial Sicario V, a $240,000 Los Alamitos Equine Sale graduate, is trained by Santos Carrizales, Jr. and owned by Valeriano Racing Stables LLC.
Winless in four starts this year, the son of leading sire Favorite Cartel is out of the Foose mare Nymph. Edward C. Allred is the breeder and Juan Pulido had the riding call.
Ruidoso QH Futurity(G1) placed Hes Judgeandjury clocked :21.332 seconds in the opening trial, a 94-speed index into a 6 mph crosswind, to get the third fastest clocking. Jockey Rodrigo Vallejo rode the two-time Grade 1 qualifier for trainer M. Heath Taylor.
The Oklahoma-bred son of leading sire Hes Relentless races for owner-breeders Jeff Jones and Steve Holt. The gelding out of Crazy Down Corona, by First Down Dash, is a half-brother to last year’s champion 3-year-old Empressum. He has earned won three of five starts and banked $174,400.
Paige, a daughter of champion sire Tempting Dash, finished a neck back and 3-1/2 lengths ahead of the field in the opening trial to secure the fourth fastest clocking of :21.376, a 93-speed index.
CNN Breeding purchased the sorrel filly for $38,000 in the Heritage Place September Yearling Sale. Trainer Clinton Crawford named jockey Jorge Torres to ride the Oklahoma-bred out of Transaxle by Mr Jess Perry. A finalist in the Heritage Place Juvenile Stakes, Paige was bred by Carlos Smith.
The final qualifying spot on day 1 went to the lightly raced KJ Leader Ofthe Pack. The son of champion and champion sire Jess Good Candy got his second win in three starts under jockey Adrian Ramos in the ninth trial while clocking :21.403 seconds, a 93-speed index with no wind.
Wesley T. Giles conditions the Arizona-bred gelding for owners John and Kathy Lee and Ruben Mares. L&l Land & Cattle bred KJ Leader Ofthe Pack from the Tres Seis mare Tres Veses.