Butte Crest Ranch, Inc. and Rod Lowe’s Up Is Up dominated allowance rivals in the $11,825 feature event on Saturday night at Los Alamitos.

            With Jesus Rios Ayala in the irons,Up Is Up was the most impressive Quarter Horse winner of the night, as the Kiddy Up gelding cruised from gate to wire on the way to a 1 ¾ length victory in a 300-yard time of :15.307. His winning time is the second fastest of the meet at this distance, only behind Excessive Cartel’s 15.28 clocking on March 6. Racing from post number six, Up Is Up beat a field that included Excessive Cartel as well as recent high-level claiming race runner-up Look Of Love MV. Having now posted three consecutive strong efforts this year – two of them victories and another one a second place finish – the David Martin-bred runner appears ready to take the next step up.

            “This race sets him up for California Breeders Champions Night (on July 25),” trainer James Glenn, Jr. said. “We are going to try to run him in the Jens List Jr.Memorial Stakes at 400 yards. He’s in the trials to the (GIII) PCQHRA Breeders Derby, (GI) Los Alamitos Super Derby and the (GII) Southern California Derby.”

            Purchased or $41,000 at the Los Alamitos Equine Sale, Up Is Up made only one start as a 2-year-old, finishing fifth in a maiden event on September 27. He returned with a daylight victory against maiden foes on April 17.

            “He shin-bucked as a 2-year-old so we just waited,” Glenn, Jr. added. “We skipped all the futurities last year and decided to wait for the derbies. He’s so big. It looks like the wait is paying off. He’s a full brother to (Grade 1 winner) Kiddy Up Cowgirl. We picked him out at the sale. He was just such a good-looking dude. We got him a real good price. I’m pretty happy with him.”

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