Bully Bullion Rallies to Win All American Gold Cup

Bully Bullion came from behind in the final 30 yards to win the $249,373 All American Gold Cup Sunday at the Ruidoso Downs.

The 4-year-old colt surprised race favorite Ronas Ryon, whose quest to become the all-time leading quarter horse money earner was delayed by a second-place finish.

Bully Bullion, ridden by Darrell Blevins, won the 440-yard race by a nose in 21.75 seconds and earned $124,686 for E. Jean Chavers of Broomfield, Colo.

Ronas Ryon’s finish was worth $42,393, for James F. Plummer, Ben Benham and W.E. Darden of Selma, Ala.

The finish boosted Ronas Ryon’s total earnings to $1,777,976 and put him third on the list of money earners. A win at the Gold Cup would have placed him second only to Eastex, who earned $1.869 million.

Ronas Ryon’s runner-up finish also kept the colt from becoming the first horse to win all three All American races at Ruidoso Downs--the Futurity for 2-year-olds, the Derby for 3-year-olds and the Gold Cup for 4-year-olds.

Finishing third was 4-year-old filly Will Be Easy, owned by the Keeling Family Partnership of Huntsville, Tex. She earned $24,937 for her place.