Fantastic Corona Jr made his $40,000 supplemental payment look like a solid investment by defeating a blue-chip trial field and setting the fastest-qualifying mark to the Grade 1, $624,784 All American Derby on Friday afternoon at Ruidoso Downs.

The Corona Cartel-sired colt led the top-four qualifiers and five total qualifiers into the Derby from the second of five trials. Also qualifying from the same heat were One Diamond Kitty, Stolis Winner, King Brimmerton and Brenda Beautiful.

Defending world champion Stolis Winner, first-place finisher in the 2008 All American Futurity, finished third in his first start in nine months.

The 10-fastest qualifiers from the five 440-yard trials qualify to race for the $312,392 winner’s share in the All American Derby and an invitation to the Grade 1, $750,000 Champion Of Champions. The 440-yard Champion Of Champions will be contested on December 12, at Los Alamitos Race Course in Southern California.

One of five qualifiers trained by Paul Jones, Fantastic Corona Jr. raced the 440 yards in :21.131, under Ramon Sanchez, to win by a neck. Owned by Gianni Samaja, John Andreini and Vince Genco, Fantastic Corona Jr gained national attention last fall and winter at Los Alamitos, where he was a close second in the Los Alamitos Winter Derby and third in the Grade 1, $2 million Los Alamitos Two Million.

He shipped to New Mexico in May to prepare for the All American Derby at Jones’ Tularosa, New Mexico training facility. This gave him ample time to acclimate to the 6,400-foot altitude at Ruidoso Downs. He then prepared for the All American Derby trials with a second-place finish in a Ruidoso Downs allowance race.

“Getting a race over the track was everything,” said Jones. “We wanted to have a race to see if we were going to pay the supplement and see how he handled the track.”

Jay and Mary Lou Standefer’s One Diamond Kitty, trained by Wes Giles, raced to a :21.153 time in the trial for the second-fastest qualifying time. He was ridden by Bonifacio Perez. The homebred gelding was finishing second for his third consecutive race, including a runner-up finish in the $107,000 Zia Derby for New Mexico-breds.

In addition to Fantastic Corona Jr., Jones qualified Grade 1 Rainbow Derby winner Inseperable, Grade 2 El Primero Del Ano Derby winner Royal Proclamation, Grade 1 Heritage Place Derby finalist Fearless Fritz ,and 2008 champion two-year-old filly Brenda Beautiful.