Vanessa Bartoo’s Double Down Special increased his win streak to three races with a 1 ¾-length victory in the fourth of six Ruidoso Derby (G1) trials at Ruidoso Downs on Saturday.

Prepped by John Stinebaugh, ridden by Salvador Martinez, and sent to post as the 9-10 favorite, Double Down Special went 400 yards in :19.246 while posting the fastest qualifying time. The win was the bay gelding’s fifth in 12 races and fourth in his last five outs, and it increased his earnings to $152,250.

Double Down Special was bred in Texas by Bob and Jerry Gaston, and the gelding is one of seven stakes winners from 129 starters sired by The Down Side, a Grade 1-winning son of First Down Dash who died in a barn fire in 2006. A 2000 foal, The Down Side has sired the earners of more than $2.1 million from three crops.

Double Down Special is also one of three winners from as many starters produced by the 10-year-old Special Effort mare Pamper Me Special. The gelding’s second dam, the winning Beduino (TB) mare Antheria, was a finalist in the 1989 Governor’s Cup Derby (RG3) at Los Alamitos, and she has foaled two graded stakes placed runners: 1997 Kindergarten Futurity (G2) runner-up Outlaw Dasher and ’99 Ruidoso Futurity (G1) runner-up Star Splinter.

Racing at Sunland Park last winter, Double Down Special won the April 3, $168,685 West Texas Derby (G3) in a world-record :18.613 for 400 yards. The gelding also ran second, a head behind Templar Knight, in the 400-yard, $224,407 Sunland Park Winter Futurity (G2).

The complete list of qualifiers for the $538,965 Ruidoso Derby final on June 12: