TRIPLE CROWN IS WITHIN REACH FOR JESS SAVIN CANDY
RUIDOSO DOWNS, NM—AUGUST 21, 2021 – Will Heritage Place Graduate Jess Savin Candy Win the Ruidoso Triple Crown?
That is question on the minds of horse racing pundits and fans now that the son of leading second-crop sire Jess Good Candy qualified for the $3-million Grade 1 All American Futurity during the second day of time trials at Ruidoso Downs (today).
The John Stinebaugh trained gelding lugged in down the stretch in the fifth race while defeating fellow qualifier Press Is My Hero by half-a-length to post the fastest qualifying time, over the two days of trials, of :21.187 seconds, a 101 speed index with a 9 mph tailwind.
The fifth race didn’t go official until stewards reviewed race replays and lifted the inquiry light. Jess Savin Candy slightly broke into the filly Misty Shade of Blue to his inside, but the incidental contact didn’t impede either horses’ chance.
“I saw the race replay and wasn’t worried about it,” Stinebaugh said. “Everything worked out fine and our horse is resting in the barn waiting for Labor Day.
Jockey Francisco Calderon rode the $30,000 Heritage Place Yearling Sale graduate to his fourth consecutive win for owners Dr. Jim Strelman and Bill Dale (Dutch Masters III). The bay gelding broke his maiden in the $1-million Ruidoso QH Futurity(G1) on July 13th then picked off the $1-million QH Rainbow Futurity(G1) on July 25th.
“I was feeling the pressure of the moment more than the horse,” Calderon said in the winner’s circle. “It was just another race for him but now this horse has a chance at history–I’m very happy that we will have that opportunity.”
The gelding paid $2.60, $2.10 and $2.10 to win for the fourth time in five career starts.
Bred in Oklahoma by Jim and Donna O’Neal, from the Pappasito mare Savin Grace, Jess Good Candy has banked $851,200 this season.
If he can win the $3-million All American Futurity(G1) on Labor Day he will become only the second 2-year-old in history to win the Ruidoso Triple Crown. Seven horses have won the first two legs (Ruidoso and Rainbow) but only Special Effort in 1981 took down the coveted crown.
The $1,260,000 All American Futurity winner’s purse would catapult Jess Savin Eagle to the #6 All-Time Leading Money Earning Quarter Horse spot with $2,111,200, behind Ochoa, Heza Dasha Fire, Stolis Winner, Apocalyptical Jess and Refrigerator.
Coming off a super close fourth-place finish in the July 25th Rainbow QH Futurity(G1), FDD Scout, a son of world champion sire FDD Dynasty, rolled to a 1-½ length win the third trial today to get the second-fastest clocking of :21.189 seconds, also a 101 speed index with an 8 mph tailwind.
The Paragon Farms, LLC homebred is a $95,000 repurchase from last summer’s Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale. Trainer Trey Wood conditions the Texas-bred gelding out of multiple graded winner Apollitical Scout by Apollitical Jess.
Ridden by jockey Tanner Thedford, FDD Scout has won four of five starts this season including the $100,000 Ruidoso Juvenile Invitational and has earned $138,494.
The aforementioned Press Is My Hero and third-place finisher in the fifth trial El Painted Eagle also qualified for the All American Futurity final.
Press My Hero has compiled a (5) 2-2-0 record this season and banked $34,667 for owner Dunn Ranch. Leading trainer Monty Arrossa saddled the Utah-bred half-brother to recent Golden State Derby(G2) winner Aint She Tempting. Fifth in the Heritage Place Juvenile in May, he was bred by McColee Land & Livestock LLC form the Corona Cartel mare Preslee The First.
El Painted Eagle finished a neck off Press Is My Hero to get the fourth qualifying spot on Friday. The son of world champion One Dashing Eagleclocked :21.317 seconds, a 97 speed index with a 9 mph tailwind.
M. Heath Taylor conditions the Texas homebred for owner-breeder Jose Luis Ozuna. Rodrigo Vallejo had the riding call on the gelding out of Royally Painted by Pyc Paint Your Wagon. El Painted Eagle won both his Ruidoso Futurity trial and Rainbow Futurity trial and was eighth in the Rainbow QH Juvenile in his last start. He has earned $13,400.
Trainer John Stinebaugh saddled his second 2021 All American Futurity(G1) qualifier on Saturday when he sent out Jess Dealin to break his maiden in the opening trial. Jockey Francisco Calderon rode the Texas homebred daughter of multiple stakes sire Dealagame to a one-length win and the fifth fastest time of :21.381 seconds, a 95 speed index with a 13 mph tailwind.
Pete Scarmardo is the owner-breeder of the 2-year-old filly out of Jess Marcy by Mr Jess Perry. In her only two other starts Jess Dealin finished a troubled fifth in both her Ruidoso Futurity trial and Rainbow Futurity trial.
Today’s five qualifiers will join the five from Friday’s trials and return on Monday, September 6th to vie for the $1.26 million winner’s purse.
STALLION ESEARCH COMPLETE LIST of 2021 All American Futurity(G1) qualifiers, with times, sires, dams, owners, breeders, trainers and jockeys.
The second five fastest qualifiers from day 1 and day 2 are preferred invites for the $200,000 All American Juvenile that will also run back on Labor Day. STALLION ESEARCH COMPLETE LIST OF QUALIFIER.
Racing action at Ruidoso Downs Race Track continues on Sunday with the trials for the $929,225 All American Derby and the $439,885 All American Oaks. First post for the twelve-race card will be Noon (MDT).