© Jake Rogers | Ruidoso Downs Photo
RUIDOSO DOWNS, New Mexico (June 29, 2019) — Rarin (Heritage Place Fall Mixed Sale Graduate) had an eventful trip on his way to winning the Grade 2, $50,000 Higheasterjet Handicap while Valiant Tiberias (*Heritage Place Graduate) dominated the $53,108 Adequan Ruidoso Derby Challenge for his fourth consecutive win on Sunday afternoon at Ruidoso Downs.
Rarin Partnership’s Rarin started from the outside ninth post position and was clear of his rivals when he started to severely lug in while jockey Martin Felix was trying to straighten him out with left-handed urging. The seven-year-old gelding got lined out by the time he got to the four path and went on to win by one-and-one-quarter lengths. There was an objection, but it was not allowed.
“I was hitting him left handed and he was still pulling away,” said Felix.
The seven-year-old Rarin was timed in:17.326 for the 350 yards.
“Imagine how fast he would have gone if he had ran straight,” winning trainer Rodolfo “Rudy” Valles said. “He’s always had a habit of lugging in. He’s classy. He’s just an old classy horse.”
Rarin, a gelding by Inseperable, came off a win in the $50,000 La Plata Stakes at SunRay Park.
Last year, Rarin won the $66,000 Mighty Deck Three Stakes at Remington Park and closed out the year with a win in the Grade 2, $50,000 James Isaac Hobbs Stakes at Zia Park.
The Jorge Luis Hernandez-owned and -trained Medessy was second, a neck ahead of Blas Duran Castillo’s Putinical.
Medessy, winner of an optional-claiming race in his previous out, was ridden by Alan Hernandez.
Putinical (*Heritage Place Fall Mixed Sale) was third in last year’s $300,000 Albuquerque Fall Championship. He is trained by Beatriz Sanchez-Carrillo and Edgar Martinez was up.
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