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10th Time The Charm: Ricky Ramirez Wins All American Futurity Aboard Whistle Stop Cafe

As the 2020 Ruidoso Downs race season came to a close on Monday in Ruidoso, N.M., a new All American Futurity champion was crowned, and her name is Whistle Stop Cafe. The undefeated filly raced 440 yards down the fast track under partly cloudy skies against a 7 MPH headwind and hit the wire with a time of :21.437 to finish ahead of Instygator by a neck. With her win, Whistle Stop Cafe takes home the winner's share of $1.26 million of the $3 million purse.

Instygator, the race-time favorite, finished second and Apollitical Gold finished third. A $2 win ticket on Whistle Stop Cafe paid $9.80.

Whistle Stop Cafe, who also won the 2020 Rainbow Futurity, is owned by Whitmire Ranch/Lainie Whitmire et al and was bred in Texas by Bobby Cox. The gray filly by Freighttrain out of Sinuous by Mr Jess Perry comes out of the Blane Wood barn.

“It's amazing! We're so proud,” said owner Whitmire. “There were ten awesome horses…and our train never stopped!”

Jockey Ricky Ramirez has been aboard Whistle Stop Cafe for all six of her wins. He had the mount today for what turned out to be his first All American Futurity win in 10 efforts.

“It means so much especially with all my family here,” said jockey Ramirez. “It took me ten tries, but I finally got it done. That filly seems to enjoy it all. When I asked her, she had another gear. It was a great feeling to be on such a special filly in the All American.”

This was Wood's second All American Futurity victory. His first trip to the All American winner's circle was in 2018 with Apocalyptical Jess.

“Whistle Stop Cafe is the fastest filly I've ever had,” said trainer Wood. “Her heart is bigger than she is. She's quiet and easy going but she knows her job. She had to earn it today, and that's what she did.”

Ramirez is the go-to rider for the Wood barn, and the two have teamed up for many victories over the years.

“For Ricky to win it on one of our horses, it couldn't be any better,” said Wood of Ramirez's win on Whistle Stop Cafe. “Like ice cream and cake. We treat him like family, and I love him to pieces.”

Wood also had two other horses in the All American final, Caliente Caramelo and Famous And Easy, both of which were disqualified for interference and placed eighth and ninth.

The official order of finish for the running of the 2020 All American Futurity is as follows: Whistle Stop Cafe (:21.43): Instygator (:21.486); Apollitical Gold (:21.633); Jettz (:21.686); HR Princess Jess (:21.943); Flashing My Pjs (:21.970); Flash Bak (:22.176); *Caliente Caramelo (:21.701); *Famous And Easy (:21.753); and Eagles And Dragons (:22.212).

*Disqualified for interference

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Jockeys Pledge Support to Injured Rider Vinnie Bednar

Jockeys Javier Castellano, Mike Smith, John Velazquez, Manuel Franco and Tyler Gaffalione have pledged a percentage of their earnings from the GI Kentucky Oaks and GI Kentucky Derby race cards to help rider 28-year-old rider Vinnie Bednar, who suffered a catastrophic fall at Los Alamitos Racetrack Aug. 22. Bednar is currently experiencing lower-limb paralysis following initial surgery at USC Medical Center in Los Angeles. He remains hospitalized while awaiting transfer to the Craig Hospital in Englewood, Colorado, a world-renowned, premier center for spinal and brain injury. The accident occurred in the seventh race when his mount, Peek It Up, broke down 100 yards from the finish line in the 300-yard race.

“Vinnie was overcome with emotion when I told him that some of the country’s top jockeys had reached out and wanted to help. He couldn’t believe that they were thinking about him while they are amid their big race weekend at Churchill Downs,” said Karen Bednar, Vinnie’s mother.

In the Derby, Castellano will be aboard Money Moves; Franco will ride the heavy favorite Tiz the Law and Tyler Gaffalione will have the mount on South Bend. Mike Smith, who piloted Justify to a Triple Crown title in 2018, will be aboard Honor A.P., while Velazquez will ride Authentic for two-time Triple Crown winner Bob Baffert.

“This could have been any one of us,” said North America’s all-time leading money earner Velazquez. “The injuries Vinnie sustained are going to require a tremendous amount of financial support for his medical bills and rehabilitation. We will be riding with Vinnie and his family in our thoughts and prayers.”

Vinnie Bednar, a former motocross rider, began riding Thoroughbred and Quarter Horses in 2011. As of his latest race, he ranked second in the jockey standings at Los Alamitos. This season Bednar had 41 Quarter Horse victories from 201 starts with earnings of $635,959 and is ranked 23rd in the country. He also rode Thoroughbreds this year, garnering 18 wins from 94 mounts.

To assist with Bednar’s continued medical support, visit the GoFundMe page at https://gf.me/u/yvsusr

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Jockey Bednar Left Paralyzed After Spill At Los Al

Rider Vinnie Bednar is suffering from lower-limb paralysis after a spill at Los Alamitos on Aug. 22, according to a report from the Daily Racing Form Wednesday. Bednar was aboard 3-year-old Quarter Horse Peek It Up when the filly suffered a catastrophic injury near the end of the 300-yard contest.

Bednar, 28, underwent surgery at USC Medical Center in Los Angeles after the spill and is expected to be transported to a Colorado facility that specializes in spinal cord injuries.

Bednar has ridden both Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses during his career, which launched in 2011. He had his best season last year with 115 wins across all breeds and was second in the Quarter Horse standings at the time of his fall.

Friends of the Bednar family have launched a fundraising campaign on GoFundMe to help defray projected costs of Bednar's recovery.

Unbeaten Whistle Stop Cafe Finds ‘Perfect Path’ To Victory In $1-Million Rainbow Futurity

Whistle Stop Cafe broke clean and found another gear in the last 150 yards to win the Grade 1, $1-Million Rainbow Futurity by three-quarters of a length over morning line favorite Mister Illusion at Ruidoso Downs in New Mexico on Sunday. Seven ran third, and post time favorite and Ruidoso Futurity champion Cyber Monday finished fourth taking away any chance of a Triple Crown winner in the Quarter Horse division in 2020.

Undefeated Whistle Stop Cafe, who ran the 400 yards in :19.492, returned $14.40 on a $2 win ticket. The race was run under partly cloudy skies on a fast track.

Whistle Stop Cafe is owned by the Whitmire Ranch/Lainie Whitmire et al and was bred in Texas by Bobby Cox. The gray filly by Freighttrain B out of Sinuous by Mr Jess Perry hails from the barn of Blane Wood and was purchased for $42,000 at the Heritage Place Sale.

“When they broke, both horses on either side of her sort of split and gave her a perfect path. She's a fast filly and knows exactly what to do,” said trainer Wood.

Jockey Rickey Ramirez was aboard for the win today, as he has been for all of her other victories, including her first place finish in the 2020 Heritage Place Juvenile.

“She been a terrific filly from the start. We knew we had something when she performed so well at Remington in the spring, but she's blossomed even more this summer,” said jockey Ramirez. “I saw a horse coming at me on the side and right at the same time I felt my horse re-break about half-way through. She's perfect so far. I hope we can keep her that way.”

In the other feature race of the day, the $100,000 Rainbow Juvenile Stakes, the barn of Sergio Ibarra had the first and second place finishers with For The Irony and One Eagles Delight who ran in the race as an alternate after Jess Cindy was scratched earlier in the day. For The Irony won handily by 1 ¼ lengths over the 400 yards with a time of :19.968 beating out his stable mate.

“He just keeps knocking on the door,” said trainer Ibarra. “He's been a little unlucky with his times in the trial races, but has done everything right. That's four in a row versus some very nice horses.”

Owned by Diamond Racing Stables/Julietta Torres et al, For The Irony by Valiant Hero out of Dare You To Beat Me by Tres Seis is a California-bred black gelding. He was ridden today by Ibarra's go-to jockey, Sergio Becerra, Jr., who also rode him to victory in the Ruidoso Juvenile earlier this summer.

“He gave me a little trouble in the starting gate but then settled down. Once he broke everything was okay,” said jockey Becerra, Jr.

Live racing continues next weekend at Ruidoso Downs Race Track with the Zia Festival and three days full of races dedicated to New Mexico-bred Quarter Horses and Thoroughbreds. Friday's race card features trials for the Rio Grande Señor and Rio Grande Señorita Futurities. Saturday's program includes the Grade II Zia QH Derby, and Sunday's highlights include the GI Zia Futurity along with six additional stakes races.

Post time is 1:00 PM MDT on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. At this time, the Turf Club and the Jockey Club are limited to 50% capacity due to the Public Health Order from the State of New Mexico. For more information on how to watch online, place your bet with your favorite online wagering provider, or conduct drive-thru wagering, please visit RaceRuidoso.com.

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