Page 110 - 18 January 2013

The Championship at Sunland Park –G1
PROSPECT TO THE TOP
by Tracy Gantz
When Joel Tavarez had his choice of four yearlings from breeder Sue May, he selected Prospect To The Top. Considering that the colt was destined to be Tavarez’s one- horse stable, the owner couldn’t have chosen better. Prospect To The Top has developed into one of the top runners in the nation, end- ing 2012 with back-to-back Grade 1 wins, in the Dec. 2 Zia Park Championship and The Championship at Sunland Park on Dec. 30.
“He was kind of tall and kind of skinny,” Tavarez said, “but he looked like Corona Cartel. He has the same eye.”
Prospect To The Top is a grandson of Corona Cartel, being by the stallion Coronas Prospect.
“I guess it was my lucky day,” said Tavarez.
Tavarez, who works for an insulation company in Odessa, Texas, purchased Prospect To The Top for $4,000. It was a wise invest- ment. With the $157,000 the colt earned in The Championship at Sunland Park, Prospect To The Top has bankrolled a total of $977,150.
The Championship at Sunland Park attracted a talented field, including millionaire Llano Teller; multiple graded stakes winners First Blazin Love, Miracle Snow, and Kool Country Man; and DM Streakn Thru Fire and Jess Featureme Quick, second and third to Prospect To The Top in the Zia Park Championship. Prospect To The Top, trained by Brandon Muniz, went off as the narrow 5-2 favorite over
First Blazn Love. It was evi- dent from the instant the gate opened that Prospect To The Top was not going to disap- point his backers.
“As soon as he broke, I said, ‘He’s going to win it,’ ” recalled Tavarez.
Oscar Rincon has ridden Prospect To The Top for more than a year and knows him well.
“I didn’t have to do any-
thing,” Rincon told Tavarez after the race.
Rincon rode Prospect To The Top confi- dently. Midway through the 400-yard race,
it became obvious that none of the other competitors would come close. Rincon hand rode the colt, and the final margin of victory, a half-length, could have been much bigger had the jockey really asked him. Prospect To The Top stopped the clock in :19.033.
“He has a big heart,” said Tavarez.
Prospect To The Top has won graded stakes in all three of his seasons in racing.
He became the first horse sweep the Hobbs America Futurity-G2 and Hobbs America Derby-G2 at Zia Park when he won those two races in 2010 and 2011. He also captured the 2011 West Texas Derby-G3 at Sunland Park and 2012 All American Gold Cup-G3
at Ruidoso Downs. In 2011, he finished second in the All American Derby-G1.
After Prospect To The Top completed his 3-year-old sea- son in 2011, Tavarez decided to stand him at stud. The colt stood at JEH Stallion Station. Tavarez only bred one mare of his own.
“But I’m going to breed more to him this year,” the owner said.
Tavarez said that Jacky Martin was instru- mental in persuading the owner to bring Prospect To The Top back to the races after his season at stud. Martin was one of the colt’s initial jockeys, winning the Hobbs Futurity with him before
an injury ended Martin’s riding career in 2011. Martin had been slated to ride Prospect To The Top in the All American Derby.
“He’s sound, he’s good, and he can make more money,” Martin advised Tavarez.
Prospect To The Top’s return to the races worked out well, He began his 2012 season in August at Ruidoso, running second in the Mr Jet Moore Handicap-G3 before winning the Gold Cup. His only subpar race came in the Refrigerator Handicap-G1 at Lone Star Park.
“He didn’t like the lights there at night,” Tavarez said.
Prospect To The Top’s winning connections include owner Joel Tavarez, trainer Brandon Muniz and jockey Oscar Rincon.
108 SPEEDHORSE, January 18, 2013
Sunland Park

Corona Cartel
Coronas Prospect
Fantastic Polly
PROSPECT TO THE TOP, ’08-c.
Easily Smashed
Cream To The Top
Hey Sailor
RACING NEWS
Coady Photography