Amarillo, Texas September 4, 2006 AQHA leading trainer Paul Jones and jockey Cody Jensen combined for their second straight win in the Grade 1, $1.9 million All American Futurity when No Secrets Here scored a stakes-record win on Monday afternoon at Ruidoso Downs.
Jones and Jensen won the 2005 running with champion Teller Cartel, who broke his maiden with his All American Futurity victory.
“was yelling and jumping and whipping along with Cody every step of the way,” said Jones, who was the champion American Quarter Horse trainer for the Ruidoso Downs season that ended on Monday. I think I’m more tired than the horse is.
Fastest-qualifier No Secrets Here raced the 440 yards over a sloppy track in :20.88 to surpass the 440-yard stakes record of :21.00 set by eventual world champion DM Shicago in 2004.
No Secrets Here defeated a game Gun Battle, the 5-2 favorite, by a neck. It was three-quarters of a length back to third-place finisher Dont Let Down.
“There’s a lot more expectations this year,” said Jensen of his return appearance in the All American. “This year, we knew we had a good enough horse to win it if we got the right trip and thank God we did.”
No Secrets Here, owned by Vessels Stallion Farm of Bonsall, California, and Benny Rosset of Sau Paulo, Brazil, came to Ruidoso Downs from Los Alamitos Race Course with the All American Futurity as his goal. In his first start at Ruidoso Downs, the colt won his All American Futurity trial by one-length in :21.044, the fastest time from 17 trials.
No Secrets Here finished third in the Grade 1 Ed Burke Million before traveling to Ruidoso Downs for the All American Futurity trials. The colt finished with a charge in the 350-yard, Grade 1 Ed Burke Million, and his connections thought he would relish the 440 yards of the All American Futurity.
“I was pretty confident,” said Vessels Stallion Farm owner Frank “Scoop” Vessels III. “Our horse is really good. (In) Paul, I have the best trainer for the last four years. Cody Jensen has ice water in his veins. He will sit on one and wait for that horse to really take hold before he really starts riding one. And he did just that today. That was the best ride I’ve ever seen on a muddy racetrack with a big, strong racehorse.”
Runner-up Gun Battle, owned by Robert and Del Rae Driggers, continued a successful weekend for New Mexico-breds at Ruidoso Downs. On Sunday afternoon, New Mexico-bred Arealstraitheart won the Grade 1, $406,000 All American Derby.
Gun Battle earned the favorite’s role in the All American Futurity after winning three straight races, including the Zia Futurity and his All American Futurity trial by five lengths.
Gun Battle is trained by Fred Danley and was ridden for the first time by Freddie Martinez.
Third-place finisher Dont Let Down was one of two All American Futurity finalists owned by Bobby Cox and trained by John Buchanan. They were also represented by seventh-place finisher Genuine Botticelli.
Dont Let Down qualified for the Ford New Mexico Juvenile Challenge and scratched out of the finals to race in the All American trials. He won his All American Futurity trial by a neck with the sixth-fastest qualifying time to earn his berth in the All American Futurity.
Completing the order of finishers were Mightys First Call, Remember Me Rose, My First Passion, Genuine Botticelli, Separate Bet, First Freeze and Okey Dokey Fantasy.
Handle on the All American Futurity was a record $708,690.