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Jan 18, 2018

Repeat Winner Jessies First Down

Leads Ruidoso Raced 2017 Champions

Ted Abrams’ homebred Jessies First Down repeated as the world champion and led five horses that raced at Ruidoso Downs last summer named 2017 champions.

There are 12 championship awards for quarter horses racing in the United States. They are the major awards. Ruidoso Downs raced horses took eight of those titles.

The champions were announced Wednesday night in Oklahoma City by the American Quarter Horse Association.

Jessies First Down, also the 2016 world champion, earned his 2017 title with five wins from seven starts. Like 2016, he secured the sport’s top award with an impressive late season surge.

A gelding sired by Fdd Dynasty, Jessies First Down won the Grade 1, $200,000 All American Gold Cup by two-and-one-half lengths in his sole Ruidoso Downs start.

Jessies First Down was also named champion aged horse and champion aged gelding.

The Jimmy Padgett-trained Jessies First Down is the first horse since Tailor Fit (1999 and 2001) to win multiple world championships and the first horse since SLM Big Daddy (1997-1998) to win consecutive world championships.

Padgett also trained champion three-year-old Hold Air Hostage, champion three-year-old colt Duponte and champion two-year-old gelding Eagle Jazz. They all raced at Ruidoso Downs.

Darling Farms’ Hold Air Hostage raced to dominating wins in the Grade 1, $1.15-million Rainbow Derby and the Grade 1, $1.36-million All American Derby at Ruidoso Downs. The Apollitical Jess-sired gelding won the Rainbow Derby by one-and-three-quarter lengths and the All American Derby by two-and-one-half lengths.

Hold Air Hostage was also honored as champion three-year-old gelding.

Owned by Bobby Cox with Homero Parades and Kristen Ashley Parades, Duponte had a consistent summer at Ruidoso Downs racing at the highest level. The son of American Runaway was a...

For our IdaBet players: Delta Downs’ very own Jackpot Picks for Thursday, January 18th

jackpotthursdayjan18th

Happy Wagering and thank you for choosing IdaBet.com!

40 TOP SOPHOMORES TO RACE IN GRADE 1 LOS ALAMITOS WINTER DERBY TRIALS ON SATURDAY

LOS ALAMITOS RACE COURSE, CYPRESS, CA… Six standouts that competed in the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity on December 17 plus two other Grade 1 finalists are among the 40 sophomores that will race in the trials to the Grade 1 $215,450 Los Alamitos Winter Derby on Saturday at Los Alamitos. First post is 6 p.m. The horses with the 10 fastest times in the 400-yard trials will move on to the Winter Derby final to be held here on Saturday, February 10.

            The Winter Derby trials will be headed by a pair of outstanding Grade 1 placed fillies in the form of Lisa Anderson’s Moonie Blues and EG High Desert Farms’ Matilda Czech. Trained by Jaime Gomez, Moonie Blues finished second to stablemate and champion 2-year-old J Fire Up in the rich Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity final. The homebred Freighttrain B filly also won the Wild West Futurity last year, doing so from post number eighth, which is also the post where she’ll be racing from in the third of five trials on Saturday. Eduardo Nicasio will ride the Washington-bred.

            Now trained by Lorenzo Campuzano, the homebred Matilda Czech will be in action in the second trial of the night. The Fast Prize Cartel filly was second by an eyelash to the aforementioned J Fire Up in the Grade 1 Golden State Million Futurity. She also ran a solid fourth in the Los Alamitos Two Million final. To be ridden by Cruz Mendez, Matilda Czech was a perfect three for three in trials to Grade 1 races last year. She’ll be facing Two Feathers Series, LLC’s Scoopie Jess and Billy Absher and Leland Decker’s exciting filly Chowchilla Chickadee in this trial. Scoopie Jess was fifth in the Two Million final, while Chowchilla Chickadee won her first three starts by daylight...

For our IdaBet players, here are the Thursday Picks for Monticello. Happy Wagering!

1ST RACE: 7-5-2-3

2ND RACE: 5-1-6-4

3RD RACE: 2-7-1-3

4TH RACE: 4-1-5-3

5TH RACE: 4-1-5-3

6TH RACE: 3-7-1-4

7TH RACE: 5-6-1-4

8TH RACE: 5-3-4-1

9TH RACE: 1-5-4-6

Meydan Overview – Week 2:

What a start to the Dubai World Cup Carnival we enjoyed last week.

Ertijaal scorched his way up the five furlongs turf track to win again at his beloved Meydan, while Benbatl outlined that he is a ten-furlong Group One performer in the offing. A track record also came tumbling down courtesy of D’bai. How can we top that, you may ask. Well we can equal it for sure and if 12-year-old Reynaldothewizard lands the Dubawi Stakes there will not be a dry eye in the house. Whether he can win is debatable, and in search of another winner to supplement the three of last week I am going to have to oppose him. In total I am bringing four selections to the Meydan party. Good luck.

09:30am (ET) Meydan: Rayya

This filly made a spectacular debut on the