Wild Six, upset winner over Heartswideopen in the West Texas Futurity, added a richer win to her perfect 5 for 5 record with a game victory in the $625,000 Rainbow Futurity at Ruidoso Downs, on Sunday, July 22. She covered the 400 yards in :19.428 and defeated 10-1 long shot Possum Fust by a neck, while Early Morning Bite was another head back for third.
“She was close early in the race and she has that little bit extra,” said winning rider Tony Guymon, who has ridden her to each of her wins.
The goal for Wild Six since she was purchased for $32,000 in the Ruidoso Quarter Horse Yearling Sale has been the All American Futurity and her next start will be in the All American Futurity trials on Aug. 16. The 10 fastest qualifiers from those trials qualify for the $2 million All American Futurity at Ruidoso Downs on Labor Day.
“We’ll see how she comes out of the race, but the All American has been the goal,” said trainer Wes Giles. “She was probably the shortest horse in the race, but she is awful good.”
“We love her,” added co-owner John Lee, who publicly kissed the filly’s rear end after the West Texas and Rainbow Futurity wins. “We’ve been offered a lot of money for her, but we’d never sell her.”
“The goal since day one when we bought her has been the All American Futurity,” he added. ” It’s all been a prep to this point, but a damn good prep.”
Lee owns the Tres Seis-sired filly with fellow Arizonans Lincoln Sherwood and Herman Mineer.
The three owners first realized they had a bona fide All American prospect when she used a late run down the outside at Sunland Park to win the 300-yard West Texas Futurity by a half-length in :14.95. She was scratched from the Ruidoso Futurity trials, however, when she was fractious in the gate.
“That was just one of those things,” said Giles. “We schooled her in the gates after that, but I don’t really think we needed to. She’s been the perfect pupil since her first day of training last fall.”
Wild Six won her 400-yard Rainbow Futurity trial by a half-length in :19.478, the third-fastest qualifying time from 18 trials.
“All the credit goes to Wes and his crew,” said Guymon. “I just try to stay out of her way.”
Abelardo Flores’ homebred Possum Fust is also in top form coming into the All American Futurity trials. The Eddie Willis-trained gelding was a close second in the Oklahoma Futurity at Remington Park and won his Rainbow Futurity trial by two lengths.
Marcus Smith’s Early Morning Bite, an $80,000 Ruidoso Quarter Horse yearling Sale purchase, qualified for the finals of the Grade 1, $500,000 Ruidoso Futurity and won his Rainbow Futurity trial by two lengths for trainer James McArthur.
Following Early Morning Bite under the wire were Brighton Beach, Keep Themusicplaying, Jess A Classy Lassy, Pragmatico and Fear This Feature. Shy Ann Jess and Three Past Six were scratched from the field.