Page 187 - November_2023

BHFREEDROPBILLY CIRLADYMOON
SHOTTGUN
by John Moorehouse
Shott Gun added another stakes win to a strong 2023 campaign on Oct. 21, taking the $25,000 Azure Three Handicap at Los Alamitos.
Heath Taylor trains Shott Gun, who drew the
outside starting gate and broke in the middle of the pack, then displayed an impressive kick with about 70 yards remaining to win the 220-yard sprint by a 1/2-length. The gelding finished
his trip in :11.787, the fastest of this year’s Los Alamitos meet at the 220-yard distance, and registered a 108 speed index.
Jose Nicasio had the riding assignment as Shott Gun collected his fourth win in six starts this year and his 12th victory in 24 overall races. The $13,750 payday added to an already impressive career bankroll, which now totals $668,269. Shott Gun was the post-time favorite at 4-5 odds.
Bobby D. Cox home-bred Shott Gun, winner of the 2020 version of the Heritage Place Futurity-G1. Shott Gun now holds six stakes victories, including the Moonist Stakes and Kaweah Bar Handicap-G3, all at Los Alamitos, where he has raced exclusively.
Cox bred both Shott Gun and his dam, Eye Popping, a stakes-placed 2012 mare.
Up The Ladder (Kiddy Up-Oh La Princess) was second for owner Edward Allred. The Scott Willoughby trainee had Jonathan Roman aboard.
Rocket Seventeen (Apollitical Jess-Tres Magicals) was third under Armando Cervantes for owner The Quarter Company, LLC and trainer by Monty Arrossa.
One Racy Corona (Corona Cartel-One Sweet Racy), J Perfect Deal (Docs Best Card-Somewhat Special), Teller Turim Mrl (Teller Cartel-White Zoom), Strawfinders Corona (Stel Corona- Strawfinder), and Cattail Cove (Favorite Cartel- Katie Katella) completed the order of finish. Dasha Dynasty and La Beverly Hills both scratched.
by Tracy Gantz
BH Free Drop Billy, the longest shot in the field at 40-1, scored his first stakes victory when he surprised the field in the $35,000 Blane
Schvaneveldt Handicap at Los Alamitos on Sept. 30. “We had faith in the horse,” said trainer Heraclio
Botello Jr. “He had been working up really good to it. I had a feeling that he was going to pull it off.”
BH Free Drop Billy did indeed pull it off, running second early in the 400 yards and taking over to triumph by a 1/2-length in :19.850 under jockey Cesar Franco.
Botello trains BH Free Drop Billy for owner Jose Aguilar Mendoza. A 4-year-old gelding, BH Free Drop Billy took 19 tries to break his maiden, but en route, he ran third in the 2021 AQRA Turf Paradise Open Futurity and the 2022 Desert Classic Derby.
Bill Hoburg bred BH Free Drop Billy in Oregon out of Apollo Snowbound. The mare has produced 10 starters, all winners. Three others are stakes winners, including $963,053-earner BH Lisas Boy, and one is stakes-placed.
Jesus Ayala rode Too Taboo (One Fabulous Eagle- Strictly Taboo) to second for owners Brent Farley
and David Newbold and trainer Monty Arrossa. Too Taboo had won four of 20 previous races.
Perfect Grand Shot (FDD Going Grand-JP Straight Shot), piloted by Armando Viramontes, owned by J Lazy Six Racing, and trained by Health Taylor, finished third. The 3-year-old gelding won the 2022 Desert Classic Juvenile Stakes.
Completing the field were KT Twos Are Wild (Foose-Proud Mellenna), Earthquake McGoon (Maknmoves-Goddess Artemis), Jr Dash Of Coronado (Coronado Cartel-Jr Dash Of Shania), Miss Racy Seis (Tres Seis-Miss Racy Runaway), Suite Caroline (Favorite Cartel-Just A Fairytale), and Heartache Tonite (Texas Icon-Heart An Soul).
by Tracy Gantz
Cir Lady Moon and Letty Cartel are building quite a rivalry at Los Alamitos. While they have traded victories, Cir Lady Moon has come
out ahead, most recently in the Oct. 7 Sound Dash Stakes.
Letty Cartel from the outside outbroke Cir Lady Moon on the rail. But Cir Lady Moon, with Armando Cervantes aboard, took over. The two battled it out for the 350 yards, with Cir Lady Moon a nose winner in :17.549, while posting a 96 speed index.
Monty Arrossa trains Cir Lady Moon for owners Daniel and Carol Lee, who claimed her for $8,000 in 2021 at Sweetwater Downs. Earlier this year, Cir Lady Moon captured the Miss Princess Handicap-G3 and Denim N Diamonds Handicap-G3.
The Gary Robison Estate bred Cir Lady Moon in Utah out of stakes-placed Robison-bred mare Cir Mark Of A Queen. Cir Lady Moon is the mare’s only starter.
Second-place Letty Cartel (Fast Prize Cartel- Letty Bail Regis Out) is a homebred for EG High Desert Farms LLC. Irving Lara rode the 4-year-old filly for trainer Jesus Nunez. Letty Cartel won this year’s California Breeders’ Matron Stakes-RG3.
Edward and Theresa Denike’s homebred Sweet Tess (Apollitical Jess-Separate Thoughts) ran third under jockey Ramon Sanchez for trainer Patricia Visscher. The 4-year-old filly won the 2022 Los Alamitos Oaks-G3 and Justanold Love Handicap.
Completing the field were A Dream To
Fill (Apollitical Jess-Answer The Dream), Jess Dream Of Me (Apollitical Jess-Valiant Jess), Hot Summer Girl B (Jess Louisiana Blue-Greystone Girl), All Prettied Up (Favorite Cartel-Pretty Jet High), and Budder Off Friends (FDD Dynasty- Budderfly Effect).
RACING NEWS
SPEEDHORSE November 2023 185
Bla
Blane Schvaneveldt Handicap
Sound Dash Stakes
Azure Three Handicap
Amber Mendez, Los Alamitos
Amber Mendez, Los Alamitos
Amber Mendez, Los Alamitos
Los Alamitos • $35,000
300 yards • :17.549 • SI 96
One Famous Eagle
Moonin The Eagle
CIR LADY MOON, ‘18-m.
Your First Moon
Mark My Dial
CIR Mark Of A Queen
CIR Queen Of Style
Los Alamitos • $35,000
400 yards • :19.850 • SI 88
First Down Dash
Bodacious Dash
St Pats Tea
BH FREE DROP BILLY, ‘19-g.
Snowbound TB
Apollo Snowbound
Stars Lady Bug
Los Alamitos • $25,000
220 yards • :11.787 • SI 108
Valiant Hero SHOTT GUN, ‘18-g.
Eye Popping
First Down Dash
Corona Chick
Mr Eye Opener
Shes Jess Special