MORFIN WITH QUARTER HORSE STAKES WIN THANKS TO FOREVER DYNASTY IN QUEEN FOR CASH
Trainer Sergio Morfin enjoyed his first ever Quarter Horse stakes win after Jeryl Hartley’s Forever Dynasty broke sharply from post six on the way to a gate to wire victory in the $20,000 Queen For Cash Handicap for sophomore fillies on Sunday night at Los Alamitos.
The leading nighttime Thoroughbred trainer at Los Alamitos in 2020, Morfin has enjoyed a lot of success since setting up his own public training stable in 2018. Just last weekend he saddled three horses to qualifying berths to the Grade 2 El Primero Del Año Derby to be held on Sunday, March 26, including two of Hartley’s prized runners. Morfin, who worked as an assistant to Cooper for over two decades, trained and managed the claimer Mahomes Magic to a spot in the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity and last weekend the colt also qualified to the El Primero for Morfin.
Morfin is always quick to credit the great John Cooper for teaching him the finer points for caring for equine athletes. Cooper also played a key role in Morfin having the opportunity to train for Hartley, who along with her late husband, Ron Hartley, was a long time client of Cooper.
Prior to his retirement at the end of last year, Cooper highly recommended Morfin as the person to continue caring for Hartley’s horses. Hartley followed Cooper’s advice and the new owner/trainer partnership is off to a good start. Under Morfin’s watch, the Hartley-owned Hes Chickless and Chickititas Cartel qualified to the El Primero final. The trainer has also now saddled the talented Forever Dynasty to her biggest victory yet.
Bred by Ron Hartley, the Hes Relentless filly controlled the Queen For Cash right from the start, as she led the stakes placed Remember Her by a head at the on her way to a ¾ length victory in a time of :16.775 in the 330 yard race. Ridden by Irving Lara, Forever Dynasty earned $11,000 for the win to take her career earnings to $32,022. This was her third win in nine starts and she’s now hit the board in six consecutive starts.
Ed Allred’s Remember Her earned $4,500 for running second with Jesus Rios Ayala up for trainer Scott Willoughby. The Kiddy Up filly was third in the Holiday Handicap on December 31. Johnny Trotter’s Jess Dynasty B finished third and was followed by Feldzpar, Kiss A Lou Blue and Take Flight.
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