New Mexico
The 2025 Ruidoso Futurity and Ruidoso Derby highlight weekend racing at Ruidoso Downs
Kentucky Derby trainers support reforms for immigrant workforce
“If we couldn’t have an immigrant workforce on the backside, I don’t know how horse racing exists,” trainer Dale Romans said at Churchill Downs two days before the 2025 Kentucky Derby.
A big weekend of quarter horse racing is in store at Ruidoso Downs Race Track and Casino.
The 400-yard Ruidoso Derby is slated for Saturday, June 7, for 3-year-old quarter horses and will start at 4:54 p.m. MT and is race No. 10.
The 350-yard Ruidoso Futurity is slated for Sunday, June 8, for 2-year-old quarter horses and will start at 5:10 p.m. MT and is race No. 10.
Both the Ruidoso Futurity and Ruidoso Derby are the first leg of the Triple Crown for both the 2-year-olds and 3-year-olds. The Rainbow Futurity and Rainbow Derby, as well as the All American Futurity and All American Derby, will be held later in the spring/summer meet in Ruidoso.
On both Saturday and Sunday, there are 10 races and the first race begins at 1 p.m.
Ruidoso Derby post positions, horses, jockeys, trainers, owners and morning-line odds
- Hardtokatch, Juan Pulido, Cristian Alcala, JSM Quarter Horses LLC and Alcala Ranch LLC, 30-1
- FDD Dreams, Luis M. Martinez, Xavier E. Rodriguez, La Feliz Montana Ranch, LLC. (Javier Rodriguez et al), 5-2
- Electrifying Cowboy, Sergio Becerra, Jr. Ramon Mendoza, Tungsten Racing Partnership (Marcelino Gonzalez et al) and Ronald L. Sugamosto, 20-1
- Little Vaquero, Fransico Calderon, Xavier E. Rodriguez, La Feliz Montana Ranch, LLC. (Javier Rodriguez et al), 5-2, 5-1
- Lethal Cowboy 123, Edwin G, Escobedo, Marc E. Jungers, Caliche Walls Venture LLC, Alan Isbell, K. Lance Bland and Jimmy Barton, 15-1
- Eagle Aye, Luis Angel Flores-Garcia, Ramon Mendoza, Tungsten Racing Partnership (Marcelino Gonzalez et al) and Heysol Howlet, 15-1
- KJ Born To Be Wild, Wesley T. Giles, Noe Garcia, Jr., John and W. Kathy Lee and I. Ruben Mares, 8-1
- DAOU, Christian Cardenas, Fred Danley, J & SM, Inc. (Sue May et al), 9-2
- Stetsonn, Bryan Candanosa, Dean R. Frey, G,R. Jr. and Shaena Carter, 7-2
- Cartel Perry, Jesus Rios Ayala, Christopher O’Dell, Johnny Trotter, 10-1
Ruidoso Futurity post positions, horses, jockeys, trainers, owners and morning-line odds
- Apolitical Valor, Jacob Enriquez, Clinton Crawford, MJR Investments, Ltd. (Yolanda Rogers et al), 5-1
- Famous N Relentless, Ramiro Haro Garcia, Jason L. Olmstead, Tom Maher and Amber Olmstead, 15-1
- Allegiant Air, Ruben Castro, Trey Wood, Norman W. Allen, 20-1
- Dee Favorite Tacha, Jesse Lee levario, Ricardo G. Armendariz, Ricardo G. Armendariz, Jr. and Eric Pineda, 7-2
- Preying n Sinning, Christian Cardenas, Alberto Amparan, 93 Ranch (Jorge Vasquez et al), 15-1
- AJ Remember Me, Juan Pulido, Cristian Alcala, Corinna M. Sosa, 10-1
- Jess Cartel Blue, Ali Rivera, John Stinebaugh, Pete A. Scarmardo, 8-1
- Russ Gus, Francisco Calderon, Xavier E. Rodriguez, Daniel G. Miranda, 9-1
- Political Twist, Luis M. Martinez, Xavier E. Rodriguez, La Feliz Montana Ranch LLC and B. Ray Willis, 5-2
- Lareda, Ricky Ramirez, Trey Wood, E. Gene Bradley and Tod Bradley, 30-1
Felix Chavez’s picks for Ruidoso Futurity and Ruidoso Derby
- In the Ruidoso Futurity, I like Political Twist, who has won all three career starts, including the West Texas Futurity at Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino on April 5. Political Twist has great early speed and won his trial for this race by more than two lengths. Political Twist is listed at 5-2 in the morning line.
- In the Ruidoso Derby, my pick to win is Stetsonn. The Oklahoma-bred has had a wonderful 3-year-old campaign, winning three of four starts. He is the son of 2015 All American Futurity winner Jess Good Candy. If this horse breaks on top, he has a great chance to win as he has a good closing finish.
Longshots to watch in Ruidoso Futurity and Ruidoso Derby
- The longshot I like in the Ruidoso Futurity is Allegiant Air, who is listed at 20-1 in the morning line. He has won two of three career starts and ran sixth in the West Texas Futurity, where he had a troubled start.
- The longshot I like in the Ruidoso Derby is Hardtokatch. The Texas-bred didn’t run as a 2-year-old and that appears to have helped him. He has won both starts in 2025 and has shown that he can get the lead early and hold the lead throughout, plus he doesn’t have the wear and tear of a grueling 2-year-old campaign.
Felix F. Chavez can be reached at fchavez@elpasotimes.com; @Fchavezeptimes on X
Virgin Galactic is partnering with the nonprofit group Operation Period to research menstruation in space.
NEW MEXICO – Virgin Galactic plans a research flight on menstruation in space, aiming to study how microgravity could affect hormones and menstrual cycles on longer trips.
Virgin Galactic is partnering with the nonprofit group Operation Period to research menstruation in space.
The company plans to launch flights next year, and one of them will focus on the effects of microgravity on menstruation.
Two women researchers are currently training for the flight.
They say they hope to reveal how future space travel could affect hormones and the menstrual cycle, especially over long durations in space.
Grant’s Thursday Evening Forecast
Showers and thunderstorms will continue in eastern New Mexico tonight into Friday. Breezy winds will bring an elevated fire danger in the western half of the state.
Thunderstorms are firing up Thursday afternoon along and east of New Mexico’s central mountain chain while gusty south winds over 30 mph are driving an elevated fire danger across western parts of the state. Storms will continue spreading across eastern New Mexico through this evening, bringing locally heavy rainfall, lightning, small hail, and gusty winds. The winds will weaken later tonight, but showers and thunderstorms will keep going across eastern New Mexico overnight into early Friday morning.
A few spotty storms will redevelop Friday afternoon across eastern New Mexico, with a couple near the Texas state line capable of turning strong to severe. At the same time, breezy southwest winds will ramp back up across western New Mexico, with gusts over 35 mph creating another round of elevated fire danger. Storms will push east out of New Mexico Friday evening while winds gradually ease overnight.
Quieter and drier weather takes over this weekend. Temperatures Saturday afternoon will cool a few degrees but still stay near average for late May. Breezy afternoon winds will continue Saturday before lighter winds and warmer temperatures return Sunday.
Moisture will start building back into eastern New Mexico Monday, bringing a slight chance for thunderstorms near the Texas state line. Monday will also be the hottest day of the warming trend statewide. More moisture spreads into the eastern half of the state Tuesday, increasing storm chances along and east of the Rio Grande Valley by afternoon. Even deeper moisture arrives statewide by Wednesday and Thursday, fueling more widespread showers and thunderstorms through the middle of next week.
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