The connections of a star-studded list of eight Quarter Horses have each made a late payment of $30,000 to make their respective horses eligible compete in the trials to the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Super Derby to be held here on Saturday, October 19.
It’s truly a remarkable list headed by AQHA champion Flash And Roll (photo), multiple graded stakes winner Powerful Favorite, and Heritage Place Derby winner Apollitical Pence. The list will be completed by Ali Babe Foose, the runner-up in the 2018 Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity; Danjer, the runner-up in the 2019 Ruidoso Derby; Im Jess Speed V, the runner-up in the 2018 All American Futurity; Jest Famous, winner of the 2018 Southwest Juvenile Championship; and Lethal Lil, the third place finisher in the 2018 Los Alamitos Two Million. With the addition of these great eight, a total of 65 sophomores are now eligible to compete in the 2019 Los Alamitos Super Derby trials.as of the July 1 payment.
Owned by Scott Bryant, Flash And Roll dominated the 2-year-old division at Los Alamitos last year. The filly by First Moonflash won all four of her local starts, including the Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity and Golden State Million Futurity. For her career, she’s won seven of nine starts for earnings of $1,218,794.
Powerful Favorite has been the top 3-year-olds on the grounds at Los Alamitos in 2019. Owned by Rosenthal Ranch LLC, the gelding by Favorite Cartel is a perfect five for five in 2019 and a winner in eight of 14 career starts for earnings of $500,135. A winner of the 2018 Governor’s Cup Futurity, Powerful Favorite won the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Winter Derby and the Grade 3 El Primero Del Año Derby. He’s the favorite in this weekend’s Governor’s Cup Derby.
Cesar Dabdoub’s Ali Babe Foose was named the Pacific Coast Quarter Horse Racing Association champion 2-year-old colt in 2018 after his runner-up effort in the Two Million and qualifying efforts in the Golden State Million Futurity and PCQHRA Breeders Futurity. For his career, the colt by Foose has earned $423,148 while winning four of 13 starts.
Dunn Ranch’s Apollitical Pence won the Grade 3 Heritage Place Derby at Remington Park following his runner-up effort to Powerful Favorite in the El Primero Del Año final. He was outstanding at Los Alamitos as a 2-year-old last year, finishing third in the Golden State Million Futurity while also qualifying to the Ed Burke Million Futurity and Los Alamitos Two Million. He’s won six of 13 career starts for earnings of $468,507.
Billy Smith, Downtime Enterprises LLC and Dean Frey’s Danjer finished second to champion Apocalyptical Jess in the Ruidoso Derby earlier this year. The son of FDD Dynasty won the $200,000 All American Juvenile Stakes and was third in the Texas Classic Futurity last year. He’s won five of nine career starts and earned $392,944.
Valeriano Racing Stables’ Im Jess Special V was second to the aforementioned Apocalyptical Jess in last year’s All American. He also ran fifth in the Ruidoso Futurity, while winning his trial races to both the Ruidoso Futurity and Rainbow Futurity. The son of Jess Lips has won two of seven starts for earnings of $523,862.
La Feliz Montana Ranch LLC owns Jest Famous and Lethal Lil. A gelding by Mr Jess Perry, Jest Famous finished third in the Grade 1 Ruidoso Futurity in addition to his victory in the Southwest Juvenile Championship last year. He’s won four of eight starts for earnings of $215,715. Lethal Lil, a filly by Corona Cartel, has won four of 12 career starts for earnings of $280,314. In addition to her third place finish in the Los Alamitos Two Million, she also qualified to the Grade 1 Rainbow Futurity and Grade 2 West Texas Futurity in 2018.
For more information on the Los Alamitos Super Derby, please contact Patricia Secrist, the nominations secretary at Los Alamitos Race Course, at 714-820-2801. The complete list of eligible horses to the Los Alamitos Super Derby as of July 1 can be found here.
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