Todd Fuqua/Ruidoso Free Press Ochoa seems to float past the competition in the eighth trial to the All American Derby, Friday, at Ruidoso Downs race track.
Todd Fuqua/Ruidoso Free Press Jockey Roy Baldillez sits astride Ochoa in the winner's circle Friday after winning his trial to the All American Derby.
Gay Harris/Ruidoso Downs Race Track BPS Jumpin Frisco was the fastest qualifier to this year's All American Derby after winning the first trial Friday at Ruidoso Downs.
Todd Fuqua/Ruidoso Free Press Jockey Ricky Ramirez rides Hez Our Secret (3) to a narrow victory over Bills Last (4) in the third trial of Friday's All American Derby trials. Hez Our Secret won in a dead heat with A Toss Up (not pictured).
Todd Fuqua/Ruidoso Free Press Testing The Ice (7) was the last horse to qualify for this year's All American Derby Friday, winning the ninth trial with a time of 21.468 seconds
BPS Jumpin Frisco, a gelding owned by Bill Price and trained by Eddie Willis, sped to a time of 21.321 seconds over 440 yards in the first trial, and the time held up as a monsoon storm moved in during the third trial and turned the track into a muddy mess.
In fact, Linda Tee Fire, who ran second to BPS Jumpin Frisco with a time of 21.321, had the second fastest time on the entire day.
The sloppy conditions probably kept Ochoa from turning in a time faster than 21.431 seconds, but didn’t keep him from getting into the $2.3 million final during Labor Day weekend.
Running in the eighth trial, with the track a virtual swamp, Ochoa was sixth-fastest on the day. He opened up a lead with 200 yards left and won going away.
With the qualifying time, Ochoa keeps alive his chances to become the all-time highest earning quarter horse in history. With a win in the All American Derby, Ochoa would earn more than $900,000 and surpass Stolis Winner by about $300,000.
Ochoa’s victory Friday was his third in a row since a difficult finish in the Ruidoso Derby, and he remains unbeaten at 440 yards, having won last year’s All American Futurity.
The five faster horses in the final all were on the track before the downpour came, including the duo Toss Up and Hez Our Secret, who finished in a dead heat to win the third trial with a time of 21.283.