Sunday, October 10, 2010
Carlos Quevado’s Corona For The Lady sprinted to a neck victory in Sunday’s Grade 2, $125,130 Hobbs America Derby at Zia Park.
Ridden by Alonso Rivera for trainer Willie Padilla, Corona For The Lady covered 440 yards in :21.522 and posted a 92 speed index. The $60,063 winner’s share of the purse from the bay colt’s first stakes win increased his earnings to $88,267.
Corona For The Lady was bred in Oklahoma by Robert H. Hart, and the filly became the 110th stakes winner from 10 crops sired by Corona Cartel, a 16-year-old son of the First Down Dash stallion Holland Ease whose 839 starters have banked more than $32.1 million and include his top earner, 2007 world champion Blues Girl Too. The winner of two graded futurities in California in ’96, including the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Million Futurity, Corona Cartel stands for a $35,000 fee at Lazy E Ranch at Guthrie, Oklahoma.
Corona For The Lady is also one of six winners from 11 starters produced by Lady Tenaya, a 12-year-old daughter of the Streakin Six stallion Sixarun who won four stakes from 2000-02, including the $75,000 AQHA Distaff Challenge Championship (G1) at Lone Star Park in ’02. Lady Tenaya’s first foal to race, the Strawfly Special colt Desirio, won three stakes from 2004-06, including the $150,000 All American Juvenile Invitational Stakes (RG3) at Ruidoso Downs in ’04, and the $211,000 Zia Park Championship in 2006.
Lady Tenaya is a half sister to Snowbound Jeffrey, a gelding by Snowbound (TB) who ran second in the July 31, $25,000 California Breeders’ Freshman Stakes (R) at Los Alamitos.
Corona For The Lady traces back to her third dam, the winning Scout Leader (TB) mare Trippy Dip (TB). A 1976 New Mexico-bred foal, Trippy Dip produced seven stakes winners from 15 starters, including three AQHA champions – 1987 distance champion Calyx, two-time champion Florentine, and ’93 champion distance horse Ive Been Blessed.
Corona For The Lady was coming off of a 2 ¼-length victory in a 440-yard, $11,700 allowance race at The Downs at Albuquerque on September 14. There were no trials for the Hobbs America Derby, as only 10 3-year-olds passed the entry box when trials were drawn.
Corona For The Lady has won three of 14 races while racing exclusively in New Mexico. The filly was a finalist in last year’s West Texas (G1) and Sunland Park Winter (G2) futurities at Sunland Park.
An Ocean Rocket, Heza Motor Cruiser, Vikes Dashing, Okey Dokey Fontana, Amight Classy, Jess Eye, Streakin With Style and Zulu Dragon completed the order of finish. Hott Feett was a trainer scratch.
A 3-year-old sorrel Ocean Runaway gelding racing for Ronnie Armstrong and a $10,000 claimer last March, An Ocean Rocket earned $20,021 to push his bankroll to $67,439. An Ocean Rocket’s four wins in eight starts include the 400-yard, $52,560 AQHA Ruidoso Derby Challenge (G3) on July 2.