Triple Crown Report - Sun. July 16th, 2023

For immediate release                            Contact:      Tim Keithley
                                                                                         575-937-4708
Sat. July 16th, 2023                                                     tkeithley@raceruidoso.com

TRIPLE CROWN REPORT Presented by:

Dark NME Breaks Track Record in Winning Grade-I $1 Million Rainbow Futurity at Ruidoso Downs

Dark NME, a two-year-old filly, broke the track record for 400-yards Sunday afternoon at Ruidoso Downs Race Track in winning the $1 million Rainbow Futurity in a time of 19.028 seconds.

“I tapped her once when we left and that was it,” Jockey Francisco Calderon said in the winner’s circle.

“She’s so light on her feet and kept rolling. I knew we were lengths in front in the end—she’s an awesome filly.”

The filly won by three-and-a-half lengths with a 110 speed index in setting the new track record that had been held by Empressum, 19.149, set in May of 2021. One Valiant Love and jockey Armando Cervantes finished second.

Dark NME is owned by William Garcia and TYKHE Racing, and trained by Santos Carrizales Jr. She remains undefeated in five career races including a victory in Remington Park’s Oklahoma Breeder’s Futurity April 23.

The filly is sired by Hes Relentless out of the mare Quions by Spit Curl Jess. She was bred in Oklahoma by Hendrix Horses and was sold at the Heritage Place Yearling Sale last fall for $65,000.

Dark NME paid $2.80, $2.20 and $2.20. In the $100,000 Rainbow Juvenile, two-year-old gelding Rj Having Fun and jockey Alejandro Medina covered the 400-yards in 19.851 seconds, winning by nearly a length over Sandy Rose and jockey Bryan Candanosa.

The gelding is owned by Josefina Guzman and Corinna Sosa, and trained by Toby Keeton. The gelding is sired by PYC Fun N Fancy out of the mare Snow Clouds by This Snow is Royal.

RJ Having Fun paid $17.60, $8.20 and $4.60.