Jacky Martin, 55, reinstated as a licensed jockey in June, following a 4-year suspension, sped to the wire on the two fastest qualifiers for the Grade 1, $2,050,000 All American Futurity, to be held on September 6 at Ruidoso Downs.
The Labor Day 440-yard Quarter Horse classic pays $1 million to the winner.
“It was a good day…I feel great,” said Martin, who holds the all-time record of seven All American Futurity wins.
Fastest qualifier with 21.220 seconds, JLS Mr Bigtime, a $50,000 supplemental nominee to the trials, scored a 1 1/2-length win in his Ruidoso Downs debut. It was his fourth win from six starts.
Martin became acquainted with JLS Mr Bigtime, bred and owned by JLS Speed Horse Ranch, Opelousas, LA, last winter in Louisiana, when he started the colt for trainer Darrel Soileau.
“I told him in December that the horse had a lot of talent and teasingly said he should take him to the All American,” said Martin.
The gelded son of Bigtime Favorite all of his other starts in Louisiana, where he was most recently runner-up in the Lee Berwick Futurity at Delta Downs.
Second-fastest qualifier, Cuz Iba Okey, owned by Wesley Lindsey, Wynnewood, OK,, raced to his third-straight win for trainer Luis Villafranco, in 21.405. The gelded son of Okey Dokey Dale won his maiden at Remington Park in May and his Rainbow Futurity trial in July.
Martin, who won seven of today’s 20 All American Futurity trials, also qualified Prospect To The Top. The Coronas Prospect-sired colt won his trial by three-quarters of a length in 21.462 – the seventh-fastest time. Trained by Ralph Muniz for Joel Tavarez, Odessa, TX, Prospect To The Top was a supplemental entry in the trials, following a 2 1/2-length maiden win in June at Ruidoso Downs.
Quarter racing’s current 2-year-old leaders, American Runaway, Hes Too Icy For Me and Llano Teller did not qualify for the Futurity.
American Runaway, winner of the G1 Ruidoso Futurity and runner-up by a nose in the G1 Rainbow Futurity, was eliminated at the start of his trial, when he was slammed by another horse.
Rainbow Futurity winner Hes Too Icy For Me won his trial, but his time of :21.514 placed him as the 13th fastest qualifier – only horses with the 10 fastest times qualify for the race.
Remington Park Futurity winner Llano Teller finished third behind Cuz Iba Okey and Make Me Fly in their trial and posted the 11th-fastest qualifying time of :21.480.
All American Futurity qualifiers ranked by fastest times: JLS Mr Bigtime 21.220; Cuz Iba Okey 21.405; Dominyun 21.408; Make Me Fly 21.415; Miss Racy Jess 21.433; Episode Of Fire 21.442; Prospect To The Top 21.462; DM Streakin Thru Fire 21.463; JD Baccarat 21.467; Mr Pilito 21.477.