Sunday, September 05, 2010
Second-fastest qualifier Double Down Special earned his third stakes victory of the season in the 440-yard All American Derby (G1) at Ruidoso Downs on Sunday.
Trained by John Stinebaugh and ridden by Jacky Martin for owner Vanessa Bartoo of Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, Double Down Special covered his trip in :21.234. The winner’s share of the stakes-record $1,548,685 purse pushed the gelding’s earnings to $1,211,934, making him Quarter Horse racing’s 56th millionaire.
Double Down Special’s margin of victory was a neck from fastest qualifier Apollitical Jess, and the gelding returned a $4.20 win mutuel as the 11-10 favorite.
“We had a perfect trip today,” said Martin, who also rode Double Down Special to a second-place finish in his August 20 trial. “He was on the lead 40 yards from the gate. When he’s that close, he can get the quarter of a mile real well.
“I can’t say enough about John Stinebaugh,” added the jockey. “He had this colt as good as he could have been. He was perfect today and warmed up excellent.”
Double Down Special was bred by Bob and Jerry Gaston of Edinburg, Texas, and the gelding is one of seven stakes winners from 79 starters sired by The Down Side, a stallion by all-time leading sire First Down Dash who won the 2003 Champion of Champions (G1) at Los Alamitos. A California-bred full brother to ’08 Kindergarten Futurity (G1) winner Revv It Up, The Down Side has sired three crops and the earners of more than $3.4 million, and Double Down Special represents his leading earner. The Down Side died in a barn fire four years ago.
Double Down Special is also one of three winners from as many starters foaled by the 10-year-old Special Effort mare Pamper Me Special. The gelding’s second dam, Antheria, was a winning daughter of Beduino (TB) who was a finalist in the 1989 Governor’s Cup Derby (RG3) at Los Alamitos.
A 1986 foal, Antheria produced Outlaw Dasher, a gelding by First Down Dash who ran second in the ’97 Kindergarten Futurity (G2) at Los Alamitos, and Star Splinter, a One Slick One gelding who finished second in Chick On The Take’s 1999 Ruidoso Futurity (G1).
Double Down Special’s third dam, Pampered Lady, was a daughter of the Go Man Go stallion Duplicate Copy who ran third in the 1976 Golden State Derby at Bay Meadows. Pampered Lady’s seven winners from 10 starters included The Katchina Doll, a filly by two-time world champion Dash For Cash who won the $254,000 Ed Burke Memorial Futurity in ’82.
Campaigned exclusively in New Mexico, Double Down Special has won seven of 15 races, including this year’s $569,143 Ruidoso Derby (G1) at Ruidoso Downs and $168,685 West Texas Derby (G3) at Sunland Park. His 400-yard clocking of :18.613 in the West Texas Derby broke by 122/1000ths of a second the previous world record set by champion First Moonflash in 2008.
Double Down Special also ran second, a head behind winner Templar Knight, in last year’s Grade 2, $224,407 Sunland Park Winter Futurity.
Smokey Stone ran third, 1 ½ lengths behind Double Down Special, and was followed by First Corona Call, Streakin Down, Favorite Cartel, Mr Truly Uno, Shesa First Ratify, Zoomin With Ease, and Callan Rocks.
Apollitical Jess was coming off of a neck victory over Double Down Special in his trial. The runner-up to Good Reason SA in last year’s Grade 1 Los Alamitos Two-Million Futurity, Apollitical Jess is a colt by Mr Jess Perry who has earned $592,960 from 11 starts for his owner, Rancho El Cabresto Inc.
“He broke a little slow and it cost him the race,” said trainer Juan Aleman of Apollitical Jess’ runner-up effort. “But, that’s horse racing.”
Smokey Stone banked $123,895 to push his earnings to $329,069 for his owners, John May and Doug May. The colt by A Regal Choice ran second, a half of a length behind winner Swingin Daddyo, in the July 24, $873,441 Rainbow Derby (G1), and he was the only horse to qualify for all three of Ruidoso Downs’ open Grade 1 derbies this year.