Ruidoso Downs opened its American Quarter Horse meet on Friday with a full day of trials for the $1-million Ruidoso Futurity (G1). The 15 trials marked the first races at the New Mexico mountain track since its 2024 meet was relocated in late July to The Downs at Albuquerque after massive flooding in the Ruidoso Downs area. The track will present 15 more trials on Saturday with the five fastest qualifiers from each day advancing to the Ruidoso Futurity final on June 8.

It was no surprise that Political Twist, the undefeated winner of the $365,271 West Texas Futurity (G2) on April 5 at Sunland Park, posted the fastest time on Friday with a decisive 2 ½-length victory in the eighth heat with a 350-yard clocking in :17.629. Luis Martinez rode the Apollitical Jess gelding for trainer Xavier Rodriguez and owners La Feliz Montana Ranch LLC and Ray Willis. Bred in New Mexico by MJ Farms, Political Twist is a $150,000 graduate of the Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale and is out of the stakes-winning Tres Seis mare C Twister Seis. Political Twist, who also won his West Texas Futurity trial, is undefeated in three career starts and has banked $183,017.

MJR Investments Ltd.’s Apolitical Valor, another gelding by Apollitical Jess, earned the second-fastest qualifying time with a 1 ½-length win in :17.838 in the 11th heat. Jacob Enriquez rode the Oklahoma-bred for trainer Clint Crawford. Apolitical Valor broke his maiden on March 30 at Remington Park and then finished a close fifth in the Laico Bird Stakes (RG3) on April 19 at the Oklahoma City track. 

Jess Cartel Blue (:17.875), AJ Remember Me (:17.896) and Famous N Relentless (:17.904) also qualified. 

AQHA News and information is a service of the American Quarter Horse Association. For more news and information, follow @AQHA Racing on X and on Instagram, "like" Q-Racing on Facebook, and visit www.aqha.com/racing.