Photo by Roberta Harris

---

Giorgino Fastest To Ruidoso Derby In First Start at Ruidoso Downs

RUIDOSO DOWNS, New Mexico (May 28, 2011) – Jorge Haddad’s homebred Giorgino could be a horse with a bright future at Ruidoso Downs after winning his local debut with the fastest-qualifying time to the record-setting $702,648 Ruidoso Derby on Saturday afternoon.

Last year’s Ruidoso Derby purse of $569,143 was the previous record and the purse two years ago was $308,267. The winner’s share of this year’s running on June 11 of $351,324 is more than the total purse just two years ago.

The horses with the 10-fastest times from Saturday’s Ruidoso Derby trials qualify to race in the Ruidoso Derby for the record purse.

Giorgino will be among the Ruidoso Derby favorites after winning his trial by one length with a :19.638 time for the 400 yards, the quickest clocking from the seven trials. It was his first start for trainer John Stinebaugh and his 2011 debut after a stakes-winning 2-year-old campaign.

Throughout his juvenile season Giorgino was conditioned by his owner-breeder Haddad. “I got him about three months ago,” said Stinebaugh, who won last year’s Ruidoso Derby with champion Double Down Special. “He needed this race and should step forward.”

Giorgino, a son of Apollo (tb), wrapped up is freshman campaign at Sunland Park with a one-half length victory in the Sunland Winter Futurity at Sunland Park, his third stakes win of the year. He also counted the TQHA Sires Cup Futurity and the John Deere Delta Downs Juvenile Challenge among his six wins from 10 starts last year.

Champion jockey Jacky Martin was aboard Giorgino and he also rode second-fastest qualifier Prospect To The Top.

Joel Tavarez’s Prospect To The Top impressed in his trial with a one-length win over Grade 1, $1,230,000 Golden State Million winner One Sweet Jess, who was making his first start away from Los Alamitos Race Course in Southern California. Prospect To The Top raced to a :19.698 time while One Sweet Jess reached the Ruidoso Derby finals with the 10th-fastest qualifying time of :19.836.

Prospect To The Top, a son of Coronas Prospect, has been on a roll since qualifying for the Grade 1, $2,000,000 All American Futurity last summer at Ruidoso Downs. He won the Hobbs America Futurity and was third in the Southwest Juvenile Championship last fall at Zia Park. He came into the Ruidoso Derby trials after winning the West Texas Derby at Sunland Park.

“We rested him at Sunland Park (over the winter) and freshened him up,” trainer Ralph Muniz said. “After the Ruidoso Derby, we’ll pass on the Rainbow Derby and point at the All American Derby.”

Llano Teller made his first 2011 start in the Ruidoso Derby trials and raced in sharp form to score the fourth-fastest qualifying mark of :19.708 under jockey G.R. Carter Jr.

Bobby Cox’s homebred Dominyun, third-place finisher in the All American Futurity, finished second in the trial with the fifth-fastest qualifying mark of :19.780.

“He had a little minor surgery this winter, but he mainly rested. That’s really helped him,” said trainer Heath Reed.

A gelded son of All American Futurity winner Teller Cartel, Llano Teller won the Remington Park Futurity and was third in the Heritage Place Futurity at Remington Park last year. He then came to Ruidoso Downs and qualified for the Grade 1 Rainbow Derby.

Dominyun followed his close third-place finish in the All American Futurity with a third-place run in the Grade 1 Dash For Cash at Lone Star Park.

Race by Race Results