The pairing of the stallion Corona Czech and the mare Letty Bail Regis Out produced its second stakes winner for owner/breeder EG High Desert Farms after 10-1 longshot Bail Czech outdueled La Primera Del Año Derby Terrific First Down, the 9-5 favorite in this race, to win the $25,000 Vandy’s Flash Handicap for sophomores on Sunday at Los Alamitos.
Ridden by Cesar Franco for trainer Jesus Nunez, Bail Czech broke sharply from post number six before drifting in during the second half of the race. The bay gelding remained strong to the wire to beat Terrific First Down by ¾ lengths in a time of :19.776.
Bail Czech’s older full brother, Diamonds Blue Eye, won the Jens List California Breeders Memorial last year. He also qualified to the PCQHRA Breeders Derby in the autumn. Bail Czech, who was picking up his first ever stakes win, has had past success as well. A three-time winner before this victory, including a pair of allowance wins, Bail Czech finished third in the Holiday Handicap in his final start as a 2-year-old on December 29. He was then disqualified from first and placed fifth lugging in and into trouble in a trial to the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Winter Derby in mid-January.
Bail Czech was second in his trial to the El Primero Del Año Derby and sixth against a start-studded field in the El Primero final. This was his fourth win in 13 career starts and his earnings of $13,750 in the Vandy’s Flash take his career bankroll to $46,308.
“I never dreamed that he would win this race,” said Enrique Gonzalez of EG High Desert Farms. “I just wanted to see him compete against some good horses. I just didn’t expect a win. We had good luck on this Sunday night. He’s not been the same horse from race to race. He’s had some different riders and different grooms. Those have been part of the ups and downs in racing. Sometimes horses run well and sometimes they don’t. I’m very pleased with this effort tonight.”
Bail Czech and Diamonds Blue Eye’s dam is Letty Bail Regis Out, who won four of six career starts during her brief racing career. Sired by Bail Me Out Baby, Letty Bail Regis Out won the 2012 California Breeders Debutante Stakes.
Gonzalez has another big stakes race to look forward to in the upcoming weekend with his mare Matilda Czech in the Grade 1 Vessels Maturity on Sunday, July 7.
“We sent her to the breeding shed and got two embryos out of her earlier this year,” Gonzalez said. “I didn’t think she would qualify to the Vessels final, but she did. She looks bigger and better each day. I think sending her to be bred was a good thing for her. She’s come back great. She’ll be facing some great horses and will take on several champions. We all want to win and let the best horse win. I enjoy the competition.”
Ridden by Eduardo Nicasio for trainer Chris O’Dell, Terrific First Down earned $5,625 for her second place finish in the Vandy’s Flash. Owned and bred by Parsons Family Limited Partnership, Terrific First Down took her bankroll to $136,254 from 11 starts. KR Hi Five finished third and was followed by Delayed Steal, Cavuto, Transcend, and Unrestrained.
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