Pour Me A Drinkk races to role of fastest Mountain Top Derby qualifier
ALBUQUERQUE — Bob McClure and Sandra K. Barrett’s Pour Me a Drinkk (pictured), seeking his second career stakes win, qualified fastest for the $180,028 Mountain Top Quarter Horse Derby following trials Saturday at Albuquerque Downs.
Trained by Gerald Marr, the 3-year-old son of Prospect to the Top surged to a 1¾-length victory in the fourth of six trial heats. He stopped the clock in 17.012 seconds under jockey Oscar Andrade Jr.
Bred in New Mexico by Fred Danley, Pour Me a Drinkk was making his first start since a narrow second-place finish in the Shue Fly Stakes last February at Sunland Park. Saturday’s trial victory gives him five wins from nine starts and earnings of more than $230,000. His biggest career win came as a 2-year-old last November at Zia Park in the New Mexico Classic Futurity.
Trainer Wes Giles finished the day with three qualifiers for the June 13 final, headlined by second-fastest qualifier Cq Coyame Jessy. The gelding won the opening trial of the day in 17.110 seconds under Noe Garcia Jr.
The son of Big Daddy Cartel, owned by Israel Bordier, entered the trials off a win in the NMHBA Stakes on April 4. With his trial win, Cq Coyame Jessy has won four times from 10 starts and has amassed earnings of more than $178,000. He was bred in New Mexico by Bordier and Carlos Paez.
Giles will also be represented by Hez Rio Trouble and Mi Capitan in the final.
Beyond Big Daddy, trained by Ramon Mendoza for the Tungsten Racing Partnership, scored a narrow upset win in the third trial heat under Jose Ortiz to earn the third-fastest qualifying time of 17.111 seconds.
Bred in New Mexico by Carlos Paez, Beyond Big Daddy has two wins from nine starts with earnings of more than $45,000.
Trainer James J. Gonzales III will also have a pair of runners in the starting gate for the final. Luxurie, winner of the second trial heat Saturday for owners Triple R Racing Stables LLC, Wallace Lynn Landrum, Ted Rushing and Rancho El 48 LLC, earned the seventh-fastest qualifying spot in 17.171 seconds.
Gonzales, who is coming off a big Friday performance where he qualified four starters for the Mountain Top Futurity, will also be represented by Mw Bcause Im First in the Derby field.
Trainer Salvador Soto teamed with owner Alepony LLC to get Dads On a Roll into the starting gate. The son of Big Daddy Cartel, bred by MJ Farms, finished the day as the sixth-fastest qualifier when he won the fifth trial under Jesse Levario in 17.157 seconds.
The list of qualifiers for the Mountain Top Derby:
Pour Me a Drinkk – :17.012
Cq Coyame Jessy – :17.110
Beyond Big Daddy – :17.111
Hez Rio Trouble – :17.128
Mw Bcause Im First – :17.140
Dads On a Roll – :17.157
Luxurie – :17.171
King Dynasty – :17.178
Jingle Wood – :17.262
Mi Capitan – :17.267