ALBUQUERQUE – Valeriano Racing Stables LLC’s Highly Lethal V inched clear in the final yards to a convincing win Sunday in the Grade 1, $1 million Ruidoso Quarter Horse Derby at Albuquerque Downs.
Ridden by Francisco Calderon for trainer Raymond Valerio, the son of Apollitical Jess broke alertly from the starting gate, dueled for the first part of the race with Lethal Wind before pulling away from that rival on his way to a one-length victory and an opportunity to become only the third winner of the sport’s elusive Triple Crown.
Highly Lethal V stopped the clock in a time of 16.886 seconds for 350 yards, topping the previously held course record set by Apolliperfection of 16.92 seconds in 2019.
The win in the Ruidoso Quarter Horse Futurity is the first Grade 1 victory for Valerio, who’s been an active trainer for more than 30 years. For Calderon, the winning ride adds to his total of more than 1,100 trips to the winners circle with earnings of more than $31 million.
Highly Lethal V will likely make his next start in trials for next month’s Rainbow Futurity, the second leg of the sport’s Triple Crown series. Trials for the 400-yard test will be held at Albuquerque Downs on Friday, June 26 and Saturday, June 27 with the finals scheduled for Sunday, July 12.
Bred in Oklahoma, Highly Lethal V has now two of three career starts. He entered the starting gate for the Ruidoso Futurity having won his trial heat here on May 23 and came into the race as the fastest qualifier among those who took part in the trials.
Sunday’s win by Highly Lethal V pads his career bankroll to more than $426,000.
Sent off as the 2.30-to-1 post time favorite in the 10-horse field, Highly Lethal V’s backers were rewarded with a $6.60 return on their $2 investment. The exacta with runnerup Lethal Wind paid back $57.40. Ask Her To Fly finished third, with Happy Flying Bird rounding out the top four finishers.
GF Shes Sinful was an impressive gate-to-wire winner of the $744,580 Ruidoso Quarter Horse Derby under the lights Saturday night at Albuquerque Downs.
Trained by Wes Giles for All In Partners, the Oklahoma-bred daughter of Dulce Sin Tacha broke alertly from the rail, crossed over to the middle of the track when she raced clear of her rivals after the first 100 yards and was never threatened, winning by a length under Noe Garcia, Jr.
GF Shes Sinful stopped the clock in 18.92 seconds for 400 yards, missing the track record set by Astica in 2015 by one-hundredth of a second.
Saturday’s win is the first stakes win for GF Shes Sinful, who came into the Derby as the fastest qualifier when she won her trial heat here on May 24. Her only other stakes appearance resulted in a trouble-filled effort when last of a field of 10 in the Texas Classic Futurity last Decmber at Lone Star Park.
GF Shes Sinful now has a career ledger of five wins from six career starts and earnings of more than $359,000.
Sent off as the 6-to-5 favorite, GF Shes Sinful returned $4.40 to her winning backers. The $2 exacta with runnerup Jarvis V paid back $70.20. Midnite Smokin was third, while Envestor rounded out the top four finishers.
Racing at Albuquerque Downs continues this weekend, when the track will host the Mountain Top Quarter Horse Futurity and Derby, showcasing some of the top shortliners bred in the state of New Mexico.