MOOKKIE IS A HIT AFTER FIRST WORK AT LOS ALAMITOS

            One can bet that Mookkie’s next gate drill will be one of the most anticipated works of the spring at Los Alamitos after the dazzling colt by Hez Our Secret posted a :12.3 gate work at 220 yards on Saturday, the fastest recorded by a juvenile here this year.

          Owned by J. Francisco Diaz for trainer Lindolfo Diaz, Mookkie broke to the inside, accelerated to take the lead ahead of his companion, the Kiddy Up filly La Blue Amore, before continuing strongly to the wire while under a hold. While he crossed the finish line a half-length ahead of La Blue Amore, she had an excellent time herself of :12.4.

          Mookkie’s dam is Gotcha Bella, a California bred mare from the breeding stock of the late John Andreini. A daughter of 2019 AQHA Hall of Fame inductee Mr Jess Perry and out of the broodmare Corona Cartel broodmare Designateddriver, Gotcha Bella was a three-time winner in her career and a finalist to the 2015 Grade 1 Golden State Million Futurity. A winner of her Golden State Million trial, Gotcha Bella earned $56,921 in her career.

          Mookkie’s bullet drill topped the 29 works posted by 2-year-olds on Saturday morning.

          Trained by Cesar De Alba, La Blue Amore broke cleanly and picked up speed in a hurry on the way to a solid clocking of :12.4. Bred by Lucky Seven Ranch, La Blue Amore is out of the Mr Jess Perry mare Amore La Blue, the third-place finisher in the 2012 Golden State Million Futurity and a winner of $159,339 in prize money during her racing career.

          Also on Saturday, trainer Monty Arrossa worked Fire Fast Honey in a time of :12.4 to finish ahead of workmate Bonnefyre by a 1 ½ lengths. Owned by Dennis Jensen and Randy Young, Fire Fast Honey is a filly by Walk Thru Fire out of Coronas Fast Honey, a lightly raced mare from the female line tracing back to First Prize Rose. Her workmate was Bonnefyre, a Texas-bred filly by One Famous Eagle out of AQHA champion J Fire Up. Owned by Buckway Ranch LLC, Bonnefyre covered the distance in :12.7. Her dam, J Fire Up, was the nation’s top 2-year-old in 2017 after winning the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity, Grade 1 Golden State Million Futurity, and the Governor’s Cup Futurity.

          Arrossa also worked Butch and Stephanie Webb’s Resurrection Man in time of :12.5. The South Dakota-bred colt is by 2016 Rainbow Futurity winner A Revenant out of Winning Merlot, the winner of the 2014 Grade 2 New Mexican Spring Futurity. Resurrection Man worked next to The Blue Mallard, an Oklahoma-bred colt by Freighttrain B out of Goddess Artemis, who covered the distance in :12.6. The Blue Mallard’s granddam is the outstanding broodmare Sky Chicks, who is the dam of Dutch Schultz ($356,668),  Sky Bo Dash ($242,072) Spike It And Fly ($187,652), Duke Kahanamoku ($85,288), Watch Linda Ballet ($110,918), etc.  

          Mark and Martha Winslow’s Bossco also caught the eye after posting a :12.6 clocking on Saturday. He’s a Seperate Interest gelding out of Bring Me Home, who placed in multiple stakes races at Los Alamitos including the 2016 Denim N Diamonds Handicap and 2015 Ivan Ashment Handicap.

          EG High Desert Farms’ Argelia Klove won her morning outing in :12.7 for trainer Jesus Mendoza. She’s by Fast Prize Cartel and out of Walk Thru Crystal, the AQHA champion filly and winner of the Grade 1 Ed Burke Million Futurity and Grade 2 Kindergarten Futurity in 2015.

          Gate works are available at LosAlamitos.com.

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