BP CARTEL POLICY MAKES AMENDS WHILE DOMINATING GOLDEN STATE DERBY FINAL
Bill Price’s BP Cartel Policy was fortunate just to make the field to the Grade 2, $193,400 Golden State Derby. The gelding by Favorite Cartel made his good fortune pay off, as he completely dominated the derby final to win the 400-yard derby by two lengths.
On the night of the trials, not even trainer Monty Arrossa thought that BP Cartel Policy would advance to the final after the Oklahoma-bred finished fifth in his trial. Yet, some way, somehow, he ended up with the eighth fastest qualifying time after the three trials had been completed. That was good enough to make the field and good enough to wipe the slate clean for his team to begin preparing for a new race.
“The horse ran pretty flat in the trials,” Arrossa said. “He didn’t break very good. He bumped with (Rockin With Energy) and he was really lucky to qualify. I was down after the trial race. You always think about what you should have done. Should we have worked him further? Should we have put another work in him? He had quite a layoff before that last handicap before the trials. It was Bill who got my spirits back up. I called him and he said, ‘He may still qualify.’ I told my mom, ‘There’s no way we are going to qualify.’ When we saw the list and we were fortunate enough to get in, we knew that it started a new day for us.”
It was a new day the morning following the trials, and the result was a wonderful night for the connections of BP Cartel Policy on the evening of the Golden State final. With jockey Armando Cervantes in control, the Bill Price-bred runner broke sharply and took off after the first 50 yards, sizzling to the lead and running away from his rival to deliver a big time win in a time of :19.45. This was the fastest clocking in this race since Moonist won the 2014 Golden State Derby in :19.34.
Just happy to be in the final after his struggles in the trials, BP Cartel Policy earned $81,228 for the win to take his career earnings to $269,694. He also improved his record for the year to four wins in five starts, which includes wins in the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Winter Derby and Dillingham Handicap. For his career, he’s won five of his 12 starts.
“The horse bounced back super. He needed the race. We had to the track a few times. Took him to the gate a few times. He was much sharper tonight, obviously. He won the tonight at the gate. Armando did a great job getting him away from the gate. His groom, Williams Lara, has done super with the horse. He’s had him all year. He kept telling me when I was stressing about the horse that BP was doing really good and was eating good. The horse is real sound as well. I couldn’t be happier for Bill and his family. They are legendary in the Quarter Horse business. I’m real thankful that he’s come out here to Los Alamitos. He raises the best horses in the country. I’m very blessed to have him out here and able to run them here at Los Al. I hope he just keeps breeding those good ones. It’s an honor to train for him.”
Price has campaigned horses in California since Ima Ladys Alibi became a multiple Grade 1 winner here under the tutelage of Blane Schvaneveldt in 1992-93.
“I started way back when Blane was training for me,” Price said. “I just kept coming back (here) I guess. I’ve had shares in First Down Dash, Corona Cartel, Valiant Hero, FDD Dynasty. I try to get shares on those types of horses. I had (BP Cartel Policy) in the Ruidoso Sale and I bought him back.”
The person bidding on BP Cartel Policy on behalf of Price asked him how much he should bid up to on the horse. Price responded with two words: “Buy him.”
“And that’s what he did,” Price said. “I just told him to buy. I didn’t give him a number of when to stop. I thought he could (be a good one). I have two or three of his siblings coming now. I like to run here. It’s a good track. I like it.”
Owned by the partnership of Paul Blanchard, Guadalupe Bujanda, Jose Flores and Santos Montemayor, Mask Mandate ran a solid race from gate to win to finish second. The winner of the Governor’s Cup Derby, Mask Mandate earned $32,278 for running second with Cruz Mendez up. Steve Burns bred the gelding by Favorite Cartel.
Kolleen Ledgerwood’s Cowgirl Upp earned $23,208 for finishing third. Trained by Cesar De Alba, Cowgirl Upp was ridden by Jesus Rios Ayala. David and Leah Nelson-bred the Favorite Cartel filly. For the stallion Favorite Cartel, he swept the top three spots in the Golden State Derby.
Kickin Famous ran fourth and was followed by Rockin With Energy, Cheater, Optical Illusion, Kevins Wise Corona, and Threes Company. Think Again Kev was a gate scratch.
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