Whistle Stop Cafe Early Favorite in 2020 All American Futurity

If there's a jockey in Monday's All American Futurity lineup that's hungry for the winner's circle it's Ricky Ramirez. He'll take that appetite to the starting gate with Whistle Stop Café, the undefeated filly named after a restaurant in breeder Bobby Cox's hometown of Weatherford, Texas.

"I've raced in the All American a bunch of times and finished in about every spot but first," Ricky said in the barn area this week at Ruidoso Downs while grooming the filly. She's the 3-1 favorite in the race and will wear number-seven.

This could be Ricky's best chance to win the All American and achieve his career goal at age 35. He rode her to victory in the $1 million Rainbow Futurity and then qualified for the All American with ease winning her trial August 21. She's won five straight races including the Heritage Place Juvenile at Remington Park.

"We're a good fit for each other," Ricky said. "She been perfect in all the time that we've been together, so there's some pressure to keeping her that way. I helped brake her back on our training ranch in Lubbock last fall, and she didn't really stand out until we got her to Remington in the spring. Now she's the fastest horse in the barn."

Trainer Blane Wood has asserted that Whistle Stop Café is the fastest filly he's ever trained. That's saying a mouthful.

Today, Ricky is considered one of the top jockeys in the nation with nearly 1,300 career wins and $36 million in earnings. His career win percentage is 17-percent. He's won nearly every major stakes race other than the All American. "I really want to win it," Ricky said. "When I was just a child, I remember my family would make the drive from Odessa every year just to watch the All American. They still make the same trip to watch me ride. I'm grateful for my family's support."

Ricky qualified two horses for Monday's final, Whistle Stop Café and Caliente Caramelo for trainer Blane Wood. Ricky rides almost exclusively for the Wood barn.

"We're a team effort," Ricky said. "There are many that share a roll in our success. But it's a horse race and anything can happen. If she breaks, I think we're going to be in good shape."

FLASHING MY PJS IMPRESSES ON DAY TWO OF ALL AMERICAN FUTURITY FINALS

RUIDOSO DOWNS, NM - AUGUST 22, 2020 - All American Futurity trials continued today at Ruidoso Downs, and the filly Flashing My Pjs was the star of the show as she covered the 440 yards today in a blistering :21.203 to record not only the fastest time of the day, but the fastest qualifying time across the board.

The track was fast, and a 4-16 MPH tailwind was present on a day that saw the top five qualifiers run faster times than Whistle Stop Cafe, the top qualifier from the first day of trials.

Flashing My Pjs, an Oklahoma-bred sorrel filly by First Moonflash out of Pj Chick in Black by Desirio, is owned by Flashing My Pjs Partnership/Susan Taylor et al. She was ridden by jockey Benito Baca who had the mount today.

Flashing My Pjs hails from the John Stinebaugh barn. Stinebaugh also trained Flashing My Pjs broodmare, Pj Chick in Black, who finished sixth in the 2012 All American Futurity and earned more than $600,000 in her career.

"Lady Luck finally smiled on this filly. I knew what she was capable of, but it seemed like I was the only one," said trainer Stinebaugh. "She had done so much in training, and today, she broke like a shot and ran awesome. I think she might be faster than her mother."

The second-fastest qualifying time came in the next-to-the-last heat when Instygator dominated the field to win by 3 ½ lengths with a time of :21.205. Owned by Jose Guzman, the brown gelding by Ivory James out of Eye Popping by Mr Eye Opener, was bred in Texas and is trained by Jaime Hernandez. Jockey James Flores was aboard for the win today.

"This horse showed so much natural ability. I wonder if I might have ridden her too aggressively because he did come over a little after he cleared," said jockey Flores. "He's a fast horse, and it's a privilege to have this opportunity in the final."

Qualifying with the third-fasted time of :21.421 was Apollitical Gold, an Oklahoma-bred sorrel gelding owned by the Grant R Cox Revocable Trust. Apollitical Gold is by Apollitical Jess out of Src Gold by Pyc Paint Your Wagon and is trained by Eddie Willis. He was ridden by jockey Jimmy Brooks.

Willis and Brooks also qualified HR Princess Jess who had the fifth-fastest time of :21.461 running second to top qualifier Flashing My Pjs in the second trial heat. The Oklahoma-bred sorrel filly is also by Apollitical Jess out of Hr Ebony Princess by Ivory James and is owned by Larry Rice.

Eagles And Dragons, secured a spot in the finals by hitting the wire with the fourth-fastest time of :21.443. Owned by Joe Rios and trained by Juan Gonzalez, Eagles And Dragons joins Famous And Easy, a qualifier from day one as one of two New Mexico-bred horses to make the 2020 finals. The sorrel gelding is by Zulu Dragon out of Effortless Eagle by One Famous Eagle. He was ridden today by Jaime Leos.

The complete field for the 2020 $3 Million Grade I All American Futurity to be run on Labor Day at 440 yards includes Flashing My Pjs, Instygator, Apollitical Gold, Eagles And Dragons, HR Princess Jess, Whistle Stop Cafe, Jettz, Famous And Easy, Flash Bak, and Caliente Caramelo.

The five horses who ran the next five fastest times today qualified to run in the All American Juvenile which will also be run at 440-yards on Labor Day. Those horses include Candy Blood (:21.490); Peves Jackpot Jack (:21.585); Miss Candymountain (:21.604); Relentless Rose (:21.612); and Mane Street (:21.631).

The complete field for the 2020 All American Juvenile that will also be run on Labor Day also at 440-yards includes Candy Blood, Peves Jackpot Jack, Miss Candymountain, Relentless Rose, Mane Street, A Dangerous Flash, Famous Shining Star, Seven, Separate Sentence, and Shott Gun.

WHISTLE STOP CAFE REMAINS UNDEFEATED

RUIDOSO DOWNS, NM - AUGUST 21, 2020 - Whistle Stop Cafe, winner of the 2020 Rainbow Futurity, had another great day on the race track as she won the most anticipated trial heat on day one by 1/2-length to advance to the finals of the $3 million Grade I All American Futurity that will be run on Labor Day at Ruidoso Downs. The still-undefeated filly, who ran a swift 21.615 today, comes out of the barn of Blane Wood who also had a banner day as horses from his stable secured three of the five spots that were up for grabs.

Owned by Whitmire Ranch/Lainie Whitmire et al, Whistle Stop Cafe is a Texas-bred runner by Freighttrain out of Sinuous by Mr Jess Perry. Jockey Ricky Ramirez, her only jockey, was aboard for the victory again today.

"This is the best filly I've ever trained," said trainer Wood. "She gives you 110% every time we run her. She seems to explode about half-way through her races and turns it on when it counts."

Also qualifying out of the same race was the second-place finisher Flash Bak with the fourth-fastest time of 21.669. The Missouri-bred sorrel gelding is owned by Dutch Masters LLC and is by Moonin the Eagle out of Checknbac by Check Him Out. He is trained by John Stinebaugh and was ridden by Benito Baca.

"He lost his footing early and then gathered and came running at Blane's filly," said trainer Stinebaugh. "We couldn't catch her, but I can't wait to try again!"

Jettz, another heavily favored runner going into today's trials, was also impressive on the track today and ran the second-fastest qualifying time in the 15th trial heat with a time of :21.622. Owned by Bobby Cox, the brown gelding by One Fabulous Eagle out of First To Celebrate by First Down Dash was bred in Oklahoma. Trained by John Buchanan, jockey Francisco Calderon had the mount today.

"Today was the first time that I've seen his full stride and what he can do when he can stretch out and cover some ground," said trainer Buchanan. "He's doing great and is super healthy. We've got a fresh horse to go after the filly in the finals."

The other two Wood-trained horses that secured spots in the final included Famous And Easy with the third-fastest time of 21.656 and Caliente Caramelo who got the fifth and final spot with a time of 21.706.

A New Mexico-bred gelding, Famous And Easy is owned by Mark and Fay Annette McCloy and is by One Famous Eagle out of Easeful Dinastia by Corona Cartel. Jose Alvarez was the winning jockey.

Caliente Caramelo, a Texas-bred filly, is owned by Fulton Quien Sabe Ranches LP/Tim Fulton et al. After being disqualified the last time she ran, she came back today with a strong performance with jockey Ricky Ramirez aboard.

The five horses who ran the next five fastest times today qualified to run in the All American Juvenile which will also be run at 440-yards on Labor Day. Those horses include A Dangerous Flash (:21.715); Famous Shining Star (:21.736); Seven (:21.757); Separate Sentence (:21.760); and Shott Gun (:21.770).

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The World's Richest Quarter Horse Race

The Quarter Horse race that every owner, breeder, trainer and jockey wants to win is Ruidoso Downs' signature event, the All American Futurity.

Run over 440 yards every Labor Day, the All American Futurity gained its lofty status through unique financial cooperation between the track and horsemen. Ruidoso Downs contributes "added money" to start the race's purse, and then horse owners make payments to keep their young horses eligible. Many of these payments are made before the horse ever starts in a race.

This system made the All American Futurity the world's first $1-million race for any breed of horse and enabled the All American to become the first $2-million race in Quarter Horse racing. Now the All American Futurity has a purse of $3 million and is the richest race for a two-year-old of any breed in North America.