Page 116 - NM Winter 2023

RUIDOSO DOWNS
Zia QH Juvenile (R)
Photos by Ruidoso Downs, Bailey Ivey
Eye Am King
Mr Jess Perry
Eye For Corona
Ms Jingles
Bigtime Favorite
Some Quick Dasher
BELLA DE BALL
A 20-1 longshot in a full field of 10 New Mexico-bred 2-year-old Quarter Horses, MJ Farms’ Bella de Ball broke her maiden in the July 23, $50,000 Zia Juvenile Stakes (R) at Ruidoso Downs.
Bella de Ball covered 400 yards in :19.784, and her margin of victory was a neck from 19-1 longshot Who U Daddy. Adrian Ramos rode the homebred daughter of Eye Am King for trainer Wes Giles.
Bella de Ball was coming off of a second-place finish in one of a dozen Zia Futurity (RG1) trials on July 7. The filly’s sire, Eye Am King, is an unplaced 8-year- old son of 1994 AQHA champion 2-year- old Mr Jess Perry and the Grade 1-winning Corona Cartel mare Eye For Corona.
A full brother to stakes winner Dr Jess and a half to stakes winner Ultimate Wave, Eye Am King has from two crops sired
the earners of more than $2.03 million, including stakes winner Kings Touch and 2022 New Mexico State Fair Futurity (RG3) runner-up Wood Dee Queen. The stallion is owned by and stands for a $3,000 fee at Mac and Janis Murray’s MJ
Farms at Veguita, New Mexico. Bella de Ball is out of Ms Jingles, a 13-year-old daughter of the Chicks
Beduino stallion Bigtime Favorite who won two graded stakes for Louisiana-breds at Delta Downs in 2012, including the $551,055 Lee Berwick Futurity (RG1). The filly is a half-sister to Convergence, a stakes-placed son of American Runaway.
Bella de Ball’s second dam, the winning Some Dasher mare Some Quick Dasher, foaled Five Bell Cartel, a winning half- sister to Ms Jingles and a finalist in the 2018 Louisiana Breeders’ Lassie Futurity (RG2) at Delta Downs.
Bella de Ball earned a lifetime-best 90 speed index from her first win in three starts. The $21,000 winner’s share of the Zia Juvenile Stakes purse increased her career bankroll to $23,400.
Drest For Success ran third, a half of
a length behind Bella de Ball, and was followed by 6-5 favorite Imperial Rein, The Big Daddy, Kelly Isa Chick, JM Special Ryon, Sweetest Emotion, Paint Me Queen and Pick Of The Vine.
Who U Daddy pocketed the $9,000 runner-up share of the purse to bring his earnings to $40,223 from five outs for his owner, Joaquin Gutierrez. The brown Big Daddy Cartel gelding was a $15,500 yearling purchase at last year’s New Mexico-Bred Sale at Ruidoso Downs.
A $70,000 yearling purchase at last year’s New Mexico-Bred Sale, Drest For Success is a daughter of the Game Patriot stallion Jet Black Patriot campaigned by Ellison Carter. The sorrel filly has banked $13,600 from four races.
114 New Mexico Horse Breeder