CHICKS FIRST FLASH CRUISES TO DERBY WIN AND PCQHRA SERIES SWEEP
Five Livestock Company and Steve Wright’s Chicks First Flash dominated the late stages of the $145,000 PCQHRA Breeders Derby on the way to posting a 1 ½ length victory in the 400-yard race on Saturday at Los Alamitos.
In the process, Chicks First Flash became the fifth runner to win both the PCQHRA Breeders Futurity and Derby while being the first to achieve the double since Ima Chickie Too in 2011-12. The three others to have also accomplished this feat are AQHA champion Hawkish in 2003-04, Make It Anywhere in 2000-01, and A Zure Hope Too in 1985-86. Armando Cervantes piloted Chicks First Flash to his seventh win in 16 starts and his fifth stakes victory. Racing from post number five for trainer Monty Arrossa, Chicks First Flash covered the distance in :19.791 while earning $56,700. Bred by Five Livestock Company LLC., the gelding by First Moonflash has earned $331,031 in his career.
Chicks First Flash was dominant when posting the fastest qualifying time for this race in the trials on September 9 and he returned with an equally powerful victory in the final as the 2-5 odds favorite. Many expected Chicks First Flash to achieve the PCQHRA Breeders double, but the owners just wanted Chicks First Flash to run his race.
“We knew if (Chicks First Flash) didn’t get (bumped) that we had a good shot,” Wright added. It wasn’t too congested, and he can overcome a lot. He’s a good one.”
“You can’t never expect (victories),” said owner/breeder Melinda Roche of Five Livestock. “We were hopeful. I was a part owner of Katies Easy Moves, just a percentage owner. Favorite Honey and Chicks First Flash are our first big time stakes runners. I still can’t believe I raised this horse. I love this horse and I still can’t believe we raised something this nice. I was talking to Monty and I was telling him that I live for this weekend. As an Idaho breeder I love this weekend. I ran in the Kip Didericksen and won that twice. I’ve raced in the Wild West, I run in the Pacific Coast, and I have some horses that I want to run in the Wild West. I love these races and I think it’s important to keep them. You can see the number of people that we have here this weekend. It’s not just for the (Equine Sale). It’s also for these races that are run this weekend.”
Chicks First Flash is expected to race in the trials to the Grade 2 Southern California Derby in late November.
Boardshort Stables’ Ima Sixy Man finished second ahead of Valentin Zamudio’s Turbeau. Saddled by Juan Aleman and ridden by Irving Lara, Ima Sixy Man earned $22,950 for running second. A son of Corona Cartel, the Cavenaugh Quarter Horses Ltd.-bred runner was third in the Sgt Pepper Feature Stakes on August 28 before returning with a trial win to this derby on September 9. A Favorite Cartel colt out of Babe On The Fly, Turbeau earned $16,200 for running third in this race. Ruben Lozano piloted Turbeau for Zamudio, who also saddled the Steve Burns-bred runner. The top three finishers were followed by Pragmatic, One Sweet Bar, On Sweet Duck, Mornings With Maria, Attacker, and Heather Denise. Escalated was scratched after become fractious in the starting gate before the start.
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