Heartswideopen is now eligible for the $4 million All American Triple Crown bonus, after an overwhelming victory in the Grade 1, $500,000 Ruidoso Futurity on Sunday, June 10 at Ruidoso Downs, New Mexico. The bonus, the richest in Quarter Horse racing, goes to the connections of any horse that can win the Ruidoso, Rainbow and All American futurities. The $625,000 Rainbow Futurity will be held on July 22 and the $2 million All American Futurity is on Labor Day, September 3.
The Ruidoso Futurity win also earned Heartswideopen, a $60,000 Ruidoso Select Sale yearling purchase, a berth in the $300,000 Southwest Juvenile Championship on December 1 at Zia Park. Ridden by Oscar Hernandez for Javier and Manny Rodriguez, Heartswideopen raced the 350 yards in a near-track record :17.089 to earn $250,000. The track record of :17.006 was set by the 4-year-old Planet Holland last summer.
“She ran a perfect race,” said Hernandez. “She had the lead from the start.” The Carl Draper-trained Heartswideopen, the 1-2 favorite, finished an easy 1 1/4 lengths ahead of 12-1 longshot Eye Of Glory, while 20-1 outsider Three Past Six was third in field of ten 2-year-olds.
Heartswideopen has been impressive in her 5-race career with four victories and a sixth-place finish in the $266,000 West Texas Futurity. The daughter of Feature Mr Jess and two-time champion Dashing Phoebe was the fastest qualifier to the West Texas Futurity and the Ruidoso Futurity. She won her Ruidoso Futurity trial by three lengths in :17.335 for 350 yards, the fastest time from 16 trials. Her Ruidoso Futurity trial victory was her first start after her West Texas defeat as the strong favorite.
“I was concerned, but not worried. I just watched her training and she was training well,” said Draper, who conditioned 2005 world champion DM Shicago to wins in the 2004 All American Futurity and the three Ruidoso Downs derbies in 2005.
Heartswideopen would earn a total of $5.5 million with the Triple Crown bonus and the winner’s share from each race. The only horse to sweep the three futurities was Special Effort in 1981, which was before the bonus was instituted. Dashing Phoebe, the dam of Heartswideopen, won two legs of the Triple Crown.
Heartswideopen will now point to the Rainbow Futurity trials on July 6.