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The Best 3-Year-Old Quarter Horses
and Thoroughbreds Offered In Special Doubleheader
Saturday at Ruidoso Downs
RUIDOSO DOWNS, New Mexico (June 6, 2011) – Fastest-qualifier Giorgino takes on an impressive Grade 1 field in the all-time richest Ruidoso Derby and simulcast wagering on the Belmont Stakes from New York offers the nation’s best 3-year-old quarter horses and Thoroughbreds on Saturday at Ruidoso Downs. First post time at Ruidoso Downs is 1 p.m. after the first race from Belmont Park runs at 9:30 a.m. Jorge Haddad’s homebred Giorgino and his nine competitors will be chasing a record $702,605 purse and a record $351,303 winner’s share. The previous record purse of $568,965 was established last year. Two years ago the total purse was $308,267, which is less than the winner will earn on Saturday afternoon. Giorgino impressed in his first start for trainer John Stinebaugh and his first start at Ruidoso Downs when he won his Ruidoso Derby trial by one length in :19.683 for 400 yards, the fastest time from the seven trials. Stinebaugh won last summer’s Ruidoso Derby with champion Double Down Special. Giorgino, trained by Haddad last year, raced to 2010 victories in the Sunland Winter Futurity, TQHA Sires Cup Futurity and the John Deere Delta Downs Juvenile Challenge. Giorgino will be ridden by Esgar Raminrez, who takes over from trial jockey Jacky Martin, with the outside post position. Instead, Martin opted to ride second-fastest qualifier Prospect To The Top, who has the fifth post position. Joel Tavarez’s Prospect To The Top, a $25,000 supplemental nominee to enter the Ruidoso Derby trials, has thrived for trainer Ralph Muniz over the past year. After racing in the Grade 1, $2,000,000 All American Futurity, he went on to win the Grade 2 Hobbs America Futurity last fall at Zia Park and the Grade 2 West Texas Derby at Sunland Park this spring. Prospect To The Top earned his way into the Ruidoso Derby by winning his trial in the second-fastest qualifying time of :19.698. Third-fastest qualifier Llano Teller moved to the top-tier of his division early in his 2-year-old season when he won the Grade 1 Remington Park Futurity and finished third in the Grade 1 Heritage Place Futurity at Remington Park. He then qualified for the Grade 1 Rainbow Futurity at Ruidoso Downs and the Grade 1 Texas Classic Futurity at Lone Star Park. Trainer Heath Reed brought Llano Teller back from a layoff for the Ruidoso Derby trials and the gelding responded with a one-half length win in :19.708. Fourth-fastest qualifier JD Baccarat, a $120,000 Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale purchase, stepped up in his Ruidoso Derby trial when he drew away to a three-quarter-length win in :19.728. He qualified for last Labor Day’s All American Futurity and won his maiden in his Ruidoso Derby trial. The Paul Jones-trained JD Baccarat starts from the seventh post position with Ramon Sanchez aboard. Jose and Gustavo De La Torre’s One Sweet Jess squeezed into the Ruidoso Derby field with the 10th-fastest qualifying time of :19.836 in his local debut, however is always dangerous with an impressive Grade 1 record at Los Alamitos Race Course in Southern California. The earner of $682,000 won the Grade 1 Golden State Million Futurity and finished a close fourth in the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Two Million for trainer Ugo De La Torre. Santiago Mendez, One Sweet Jess’ regular rider at Los Alamitos, is up with the sixth post position.
18th Running of the
Ruidoso Derby [G1] June 11, 2011
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