Ronas Ryon Wins the Kansas Futurity, First Leg of Quarterhorse Triple Crown

Ronas Ryon, ridden by Jerry Nicodemus, had a head in front of Marthas Six Moons at the finish Sunday to win the opening leg of quarterhorse racing’s triple crown, the $398,000 Kansas Futurity at Ruidoso Downs.

Installed as a 5-2 favorite in the 36th running of the race, the 2-year-old colt broke ahead of the field in the 350-yard race and crossed the wire in 17.49 seconds.

Marthas Six Moons, ridden by Larry Layton, was a head in front of Vital Dash and Larkin Ease, who finished in a dead-heat for third.

The victory was the fifth in a row for the unbeaten Florida-bred and the $170,323 winner’s purse pushed his career earnings past $250,000.

“The colt broke real good,” Nicodemus said. “He was scrambling a little bit on the track, but not bad.

“But my saddle slipped real bad leaving the gate. I was just really trying to hold on. I didn’t really ride the colt like I wanted to.”

Nicodemus got the assignment on Ronas Ryon when jockey Jacky Martin opted to ride Larkin Ease instead.

Ronas Ryon, owned by Ben Benham and James Plummer of Anthony, Fla., and trained by Arnold Simmons Jr., was shipped to Ruidoso off a mid-April victory in the $295,000 Graham Farms Futurity at Del Rio, Tex.

Ronas Ryon paid $7.40, $4 and $3.20, Marthas Six Moons returned $6 and $4, and Vital Dash and Larkin Ease paid $3.20 and $2.80.

The field of 10 starters had survived a series of time trials that involved 234 horses.

The other two legs of the triple crown are the Rainbow Futurity and the $1 million All-American Futurity, both at Ruidoso Downs.