Lori Ritz / Coady Photography - Michael Cusortelli for SureBet

Prospect To The Top Completes Rare Hobbs America Futurity-Derby Sweep

Hobbs, NM – Oct. 9, 2011 - Oscar Rincon rode fourth-fastest qualifier Prospect To The Top to a 1 1/4-length victory in the $151,659 Hobbs America Derby (G3) at Zia Park on Sunday.

Saddled by Ralph Muniz for owner Joel Tavarez, Prospect To The Top went 440 yards in :21.313, the second-fastest clocking in the stakes' seven-year history. The bay colt also became the first horse to win both the Hobbs America Futurity (G2), and the Hobbs America Derby the following season.

Prospect To The Top was bred in Texas by Sue H. May. The colt's sire, Coronas Prospect, is an 11-year-old stakes winning son of Corona Cartel who won the 2002 Cajun Kindergarten Futurity (G3) at Delta Downs and ran second in the '03 Southern California Derby (G1) at Los Alamitos.

Coronas Prospect's top runners include Kiss A Corona, a two-time stakes winner during the 2009-10 Hialeah Park meet. The stallion stands for a $2,000 fee at Maui Farms at Purcell, Oklahoma.

Prospect To The Top's dam, the winning Easily Smashed mare Cream To The Top, ran third in the 1992 La Chiripada Stakes (G3) at The Downs at Santa Fe in New Mexico. Now 21, Cream To The Top has foaled four winners from six starters.

Prospect To The Top has banked $635,100 from 15 races, and his seven wins include the 400-yard, $160,400 West Texas Derby (G3) at Sunland Park on April 2. The colt was coming off of a second-place finish to fastest qualifier JD Baccarat in the third of three Hobbs America Derby trials on September 25.

Naturally Talented ran second, a head in front of third-place The Steel Wave. BF Sonic Boom, Rare Waves, Decadencia, 13-10 favorite JD Baccarat, Favored, and Royally Sandra completed the order of finish. Eighth-fastest qualifier Bigtime Country was scratched.

Naturally Talented is a bay colt by the Corona Cartel stallion Prime Talent owned and trained by Alonso Orozco. The third-place finisher in the August 20, $65,500 Iowa Double Gold Derby (R) at Prairie Meadows, Naturally Talented has won one of eight races and has banked $41,636, all of which has been earned this season.

The Steel Wave is a gray Ocean Runaway gelding who was coming off of a neck victory in the second Hobbs America Derby trial. Currently owned by Javier Marquez of Monahans, Texas, The Steel Wave has won four of 14 races and has earned $79,329 while racing at seven different tracks in three states.