Trainer Fincher Dominates Ruidoso Card

Trainer Todd Fincher and fans at Ruidoso Downs had to wait what seemed like an interminable amount of time for officials to decide the outcome of the photo finish between 2-year-olds Ignored and Another Brother in the $176,298 Mountain Top New Mexico-Bred Futurity July 31.

The Futurity was one of the features on a 10-race program consisting of six Thoroughbred and four Quarter Horse races for New Mexico-breds with purses totaling more than $1 million.

Ignored stalked the early pace and kicked clear rounding the turn in the five-furlong race before being engaged by Another Brother for a stirring stretch duel.

“He (Another Brother) had the momentum but the other horse got his nose in front at the end. It was probably one of the best races you will ever see from two horses,” Fincher said of the nose bob victory by Ignored, a gelded son of The Way Home owned and bred by Steve and Bessie Prather. “It seemed like it took them 10 minutes to decide the photo.”

Ignored, who won the Copper Top Futurity in May at Sunland Park and was second in another stakes in June, has finished first or second in all five career starts and earned $162,399.

Unlike many photo finishes, Fincher trained the winner, no matter which way the decision went. In fact, the first four finishers all hailed from the Fincher barn, which had a monumental day. In addition to the Futurity sweep, Flincher won the Land of Enchantment Handicap with Hush's Storm and had the top two finishers in the Sierra Starlet Handicap won by Bryn's Fancy Pants.

“It was a great day,” said Fincher, Ruidoso’s leading trainer this meet who previously had won four stakes on another New Mexico-bred card at Zia Park. “But it was my best day for overall performance.”

Interestingly, none of Fincher’s winners were for one of his main clients, Ruidoso owner R. D. Hubbard, who found himself in the winner’s circle following the Lincoln Handicap with Bart Hone-trained Stormy Day and owns Futurity runner-up Another Brother.

With a barn housed with 95% state-breds, Fincher said he and his clients are big advocates of the New Mexico program. With average daily purses of approximately $180,000, race cards at the state’s tracks have many restricted races for which only horses bred in New Mexico can run and earn purses.

While he may eventually end up on a different circuit, Fincher said he has a comfort level within New Mexico. In addition to the lucrative purses, the training costs are lower and horses can be purchased for less at the state’s auctions.

“I don’t think you could do much better, unless you were at the very top somewhere else,” he said.

For now, he will keep trying to win on the big race days.

“We gear up for it,” Fincher said.