RUIDOSO DOWNS, NM—SEPTEMBER 5, 2010—Vanessa Bartoo's even-money favorite Double Down Special placed himself firmly in the hunt for 2010 world champion honors with a win on Sunday afternoon in the Grade 1, $1,548,076 All American Derby, the richest derby in quarter horse racing history, at Ruidoso Downs.

Double Down Special earned $774,038, the all-time record winner's share for a quarter horse derby.

Double Down Special defeated Apollitical Jess by a neck with a :21.234 time for the 440 yards. Smokey Stone finished third, one-and-one-quarter lengths behind Apollitical Jess.

Double Down Special and Apollitical Jess, the 2-1 second choice, got the jump on Double Down Special out of the gate and that proved to be a vital difference.

"We had a perfect trip today," said Martin. "Forty yards from the gate, he was on the lead. When he's that close, he can get the quarter of a mile real well. It was all over but the shoutin' then.

"I can't say enough about (trainer) John Stinebaugh; he had this colt as good as he could be. He was perfect today, warmed up excellent."

Double Down Special's win was another milestone in the comeback summer for Martin, who earlier on the program won the All American Gold Cup with champion Noconi. The 55-year-old rider also won the Grade 1, $625,000 Rainbow Futurity this summer after returning for a 4-year hiatus from race riding.

Martin rides fastest-qualifier JLS Mr Bigtime in Monday's finals to the Grade 1, $2,050,000 All American Futurity presented by Sentient Jet. He is a record 7-time winner of the All American Futurity.

Double Down Special and Apollitical Jess also met in their All American Derby trial with Apollitical Jess getting the best start and the win with the fastest-qualifying time of :20.878. Double Down Special overcame his tardy start to finish second with a :20.957 qualifying time.

The Down Side-sired Double Down Special has had a incredible year. The $40,000 supplemental nominee to enter the All American Derby trials set the 400-yard world record of :18.613 while winning the Grade 3, $169,000 West Texas Derby at Sunland Park and then came to Ruidoso Downs to win the Grade 1, $569,000 Ruidoso Derby. Bob and Jerry Gaston bred the gelding in Texas from the Special Effort mare Pamper Me Special. Sunday's victory pushed his career earnings mark to $1,211,630.

The All American Derby win secured Double Down Special a berth in the Grade 1, $750,000 Champion Of Champions at Los Alamitos on December 11 at Los Alamitos Race Course in Southern California.

A Champion Of Champions win could assure the 2010 world championship for Double Down Special and would be a extraordinary win for trainer Stinebaugh. His training mentor Blane Schvaneveldt died on July 5 and the legendary hall of fame trainer is the record 9-time winner of the Champion Of Champions.

Trainer Juan Aleman brought Rancho el Cabresto's Apollitical Jess to Ruidoso Downs from Los Alamitos to point at the rich summer derbies at the New Mexico track. The son of Mr Jess Perry and champion Apollitical Time was a very troubled fifth in his Rainbow Derby trial, raced to a near-track-record 350-yard allowance win in :17.032 and then defeated Double Down Special in their All American Derby trial.

"It was a good race," Aleman said of the All American Derby. "He broke a little slow and it cost him the race. But that's horse racing."

Apollitical Jess earned $247,692 for the second-place finish.

John and Douglas May's Smokey Stone capped an excellent summer with his third-place finish in the All American Derby. The A Real Choice colt from the Fred Danley barn was the only horse to qualify for the Ruidoso, Rainbow and All American derbies this summer.

Completing the field were First Corona Call, Streakin Down, Favorite Cartel, Mr Truly Uno, Shesa First Ratify, Zoomin With Ease and Callan Rocks.