Horse racing: Odessa-owned horse is co-favorite at Ruidoso showcase
RUIDOSO DOWNS, N.M. The fact he has a horse in Monday’s finals to the Grade 1, $2,050,000 All American Futurity presented by Sentient Jet at Ruidoso Downs is finally sinking in with trainer Ralph Muniz.
“It’s been really a shock,” said Muniz, a Pecos native. “After I do a few interviews, it’s like, ‘Wow, we have one in there.’ And actually we have a shot.”
Muniz’s first horse in the prestigious race is undefeated Prospect To The Top, the 3-1 morning-line co-favorite with fastest qualifier JLS Mr Bigtime. The All American Futurity winner earns $1,000,000, which is the richest first-place prize in quarter horse racing.
Owner Joel Tavarez of Odessa, along with his partners — brother Martin Tavares, brother-in-law Juan Carrillo, cousin Salvador Aranda and friends Carlos Levaro and Brian Mendosa — paid the $50,000 late supplement to run Prospect To The Top in the Aug. 20 trials to the All American.
With Jacky Martin aboard, the colt won the 16th of 20 trials and became the seventh-fastest qualifier with a time of 21.462 seconds.
Martin will ride JLS Mr Bigtime (another $50,000 supplement) in the final, and Oscar Rincon, who has ridden numerous winners for Muniz, will ride Prospect To The Top from post 4.
Tavarez purchased Prospect To The Top privately from breeder Sue May of Fort Stockton, broke the son of Coronas Prospect and sent him to Muniz when the Ruidoso season began.
The initial plan was to point Prospect To The Top to the John Deere New Mexico Juvenile Challenge because he wasn’t nominated to any other races.
The plan changed when the colt opened his career in a 350-yard maiden race June 27 and won by 2 1/2 lengths.
“He just ran a monster race,” said Muniz.
Muniz said the decision to spend $50,000 to supplement Prospect To The Top to the All American trials came shortly after Martin worked the colt in late July.
The seven-time winner of the All American, who is Ruidoso Downs’ leading rider this season, then gave Muniz his opinion of the colt.
“He stood right here in front of me and said, ‘This horse will qualify (to the All American),’ ” Muniz recalled. “Then I said, ‘Well I guess we’ll get the $50,000.’ We felt so good about the horse. He’s so laid back and such a professional. He’s all business and quite an athlete.”
Muniz, 36, is a 1992 Pecos High School graduate whose parents live in Odessa.
He attended Odessa College and was on the rodeo team, riding saddle broncs for legendary coach Jim Watkins.
Muniz has been around horses all his life and participated with family members in match racing in the area. He turned to training racehorses and now is based in New Mexico with 65-70 quarter horses in his care.
In 2006, Muniz sent out his first stakes winner, Power Connection, in the Zia Juvenile Invitational.
He trained Little Bit Of Ah Ha to win the 2008 James Isaac Hobbs Stakes and 2009 Grade 1 Zia Park Championship.
Last year, he won the Grade 1 West Texas Futurity with Varsity Girl.
>> THE BASICS
What: 52nd All American Futurity presented by Sentient Jet.
When: Post time scheduled for 5:45 p.m. Monday. It is the 10th race on race card.
Where: Ruidoso Downs, N.M.
About: All American Futurity has a total purse of $2,050,000 with a winner’s share of $1,000,000.
