Ed and Theresa DeNike enjoyed victories in a pair of La Primera Del Año derbies for fillies. The DeNikes won the 2006 running with Kaniska and the 2010 running with Jumpn Beduino – both trained by Patricia Visscher. The two distaffers have gone on to the breeding shed and a couple of their babies are currently in training at Los Alamitos Race Course.

This past Tuesday, April 16, the DeNikes were represented on the track by the Oklahoma-bred Caerus, a colt by PYC Paint Your Wagon out of the mare Kaniska; and by the Oklahoma-bred Octavia, a filly by One Famous Eagle and out of Jumpn Beduino.

Working as a tandem, Octavia covered the 220 yards in :12.3 from the outside post in this work, while Caerus worked in :12.5 from the inside post. Kaniska is the dam of Speights Girl, who finished in the top three in each of her first eight starts. Jumpn Beduino is the dam of JB Perry, who finished in the top three in six consecutive starts.

Ed DeNike (photo) worked in terminal/stevedore management and operations. He directed numerous cargo operations since his original hiring by Crescent in 1966. He was the architect and terminal manager for several major facilities in San Francisco, Oakland and Long Beach. In 1986, he relocated to Seattle and assumed overall responsibility for Carrix’s West Coast container and select breakbulk operations. He was responsible for rewriting the Pacific Coast Longshore Contract document and has been heavily involved in container equipment design. One of his top racehorse was named The Stevedore. He was a stakes winner at Los Alamitos.

Here are a few other notable horses to post works on April 16. Videos of all gate works are available at losalamitos.com.

·        Valencia JQM (:12.5) a filly by Tres Seis out of Corona Perfection, who was a finalist to the La Primera Del Ano Derby in 2002. Corona Perfection is the mother of Louisiana Senator, who won five stakes races in his career, four of them in 2011. He earned nearly $600,000 and won the Refrigerator Handicap, Eastex Handicap, Leo Stakes and Remington Park Invitational Championship. Corona Perfection also produced 2006 Golden State Million Futurity finalist Jess Charming.

·        All Prettied Up (:12.4) a filly by Favorite Cartel out of Pretty Jet High, who is the mother of the stakes placed Loved Her First, who finished sixth in the Kindergarten Futurity, and of Ought To Be Higher, a six-time winner and stakes placed runner.

·        Pesky (:12.4) a colt by Favorite Cartel and out of Quirky, who was an eight-time stakes winner at Los Alamitos. The 2015 AQHA champion aged mare, Quirky won that year’s 2015 Mildred Vessels Memorial Handicap plus two runnings of the Charger Bar Handicap, two of the Matron Stakes, and the 2014 Southern California Derby.

·        Made Over (:12.6) a colt by Favorite Cartel out of Make Over, who is the dam of 2012 El Primero Del Ano Derby winner New Look and four-time graded stakes derby finalist Renewed. His top finish in those derbies was a runner-up effort in the 2017 PCQHRA Breeders Derby.

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