Harken, a two-year-old New Mexico-bred gelding, held off a closing field of horses to win the $351,484 Mountain Top Futurity by a nose at Ruidoso Downs Race Track Sunday, June 16.
“I was peeking over to my left and thought we had them,” jockey Sergio Becerra Jr. said in the winner’s circle. “I’m fortunate to have some experience with this horse—I knew he was capable of the win.”
Harken won the Mountain Top Futurity over Eye I’m Flashin and jockey Jacob Enriquez at the wire, paying $16.80, $11.40 and $6.80 in a time of 17.765 seconds for 350 yards.
In the $50,000 Mountain Top Juvenile, Woody Rocks and jockey Luis Martinez came from behind to beat favored Macho Daddys Girl and jockey Adrian Ramos by a neck in a time of 17.979 for 350 yards.
Miss Hi Tide and jockey Adrian Ramos overcame a rough beginning to win the $175,258 Mountain Top Derby for three-year-old New Mexico-bred quarter horses Saturday, June 15, at Ruidoso Downs Race Track.
“I did my best to keep my filly calm and steady,” Ramos said in the winner’s circle. “The filly did a nice job overcoming the early trouble and then she really got going down the race track.”
Miss Hi Tide topped Wood Be Bad and jockey James Flores by one length in a time of 17.667 seconds for 350 yards. The filly paid $21.80, $8.20 and $6.00 for a second career win for owner Ezra Lee and trainer Wes Giles.
“We’re going to point the filly toward the All American Oaks,” said Giles.
In the 112,610 Maiden Stakes, Tres The Favorite and jockey Luis Martinez broke mid-pack and came from behind to edge longshot Bigg Picture by a neck in a time of 17.404 seconds for 350 yards. The stakes event was open to quarter horses that were still qualified as maidens as of March 1.
Tres The Favorite is a three-year-old owned by Jose Moreno and trained by David Gomez-Barraza. It is the gelding’s third consecutive win and paid $6.00, $4.00 and $2.40.
This article originally appeared on Carlsbad Current-Argus: Harken wins narrowly in Mountain Top Futurity
