Black Gold 440 Futurity Championship Trials Set for Friday

Cloud Ridge, a homebred son of Carters Cartel owned and trained by Randy J. Davis, is one of 50 2-year-olds entered in Friday’s 440-yard Black Gold 440 Futurity Championship (RG3) trials at Will Rogers Downs.

Cloud Ridge will be stretching out in distance off of his third-place finish, a head behind winner Three Bar Cartel, in the 400-yard, $354,000 Dash For Cash Futurity (G2) at Lone Star Park on September 30. The gelding has earned $80,218 from five outs, and his three wins include a half-length victory in the 350-yard, $50,000 Easy Jet Stakes (RG3) for Oklahoma-breds at Remington Park in June.

Cloud Ridge drew post 9 and will be ridden by Berkley Packer in the first of six trials.

Other prominent juveniles entered in Friday’s trials include Bad Neighbor and Tempting Diamonds. Bad Neighbor is a son of champion Country Chicks Man trained by Ramon Mendoza for owners Mauro Mendoza. The gelding is coming off of a second-place finish, a neck behind winner Political Attraction, in the 350-yard, $283,000 Black Gold 350 Futurity Championship (RG3) on September 24.

Daniel Torres will ride Bad Neighbor from post 2 in the sixth heat.

Tempting Diamonds races for Jose Rojas, who also trains the sorrel daughter of champion Tempting Dash. The filly is coming off of a summer campaign during which she ran third, two lengths behind winner Political Attraction, in the 350-yard, $214,000 Speedhorse Futurity (G3) at Fair Meadows at Tulsa.

Tempting Diamonds drew post 5 and will be ridden by Jesus Salazar in the second trial.

The 10 fastest qualifiers will meet in the November 11, $133,500-guaranteed Black Gold 440 Futurity Championship final.

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