New Mexico State Fair Futurity

Eddy Cartel kept his perfect record intact and scored a big payday in Sunday’s $1,158,003 New Mexico State Fair Futurity (RG2) for state-breds at The Downs at Albuquerque. Sent off at odds of 7-1 despite being the second-fastest qualifier and riding a three-race winning streak, Eddy Cartel battled for the lead throughout and prevailed by a neck with a clocking of :19.641 for an 88 speed index at 400 yards. Joseph Belloc Jr. rode for trainer James Gonzales III and owner Paul Blanchard. 

Bred by Eduardo Mendoza, Eddy Cartel has already banked $639,559 in his four victories. The gelding by Big Daddy Cartel kicked off his career with a maiden win at Ruidoso Downs in June and then won a trial for the Zia Futurity (RG1). He qualified to that race with the fifth-fastest time but the final was cancelled due to the flooding at Ruidoso Downs. He took a break of more than two months before returning to win his New Mexico State Fair Futurity by 1 ¼ lengths on September 19. Eddy Cartel is out of EM Bodacious Chick, a Bodacious Dash mare who won the 2018 Ruidoso Juvenile Stakes. 

Gonzales also saddled the runner-up as Nancy Wells and Larry Marcum’s homebred MW Bcause Im First, a filly by B Cause Im A Hero, ran a game second with Francisco Calderon up. Like Eddy Cartel, MW Bcause Im First came into the final with an undefeated record that included a qualifying win for the cancelled Zia Futurity. The filly now has a record of four wins and a second from five starts with a bankroll of $291,093.

Robert Driggers and Ben Ivey’s Hez Rio Trouble, a Jet Black Patriot gelding who broke his maiden in the trials, finished third at odds of 51-1. Emilio Tapia rode for trainer Wes Giles.

Fastest qualifier Pour Me A Drinkk nearly lost jockey James Flores at the break and finished last. 

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