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Vessels Maturity-G1
CHOCOLATITO
by Tracy Gantz
Trainer Scott Willoughby has been working with Chocolatito to be calmer, and the gelding is much improved this year as a 4 year old. He proved it with a sparkling victory in the $154,252 Vessels Maturity-G1 at Los Alamitos on July 5.
Though Chocolatito broke fifth and bumped at the start of the 400-yard Maturity, jockey Vinnie Bednar had him well positioned for his patented closing kick.
Chocolatito roared up to
grab the lead, and he scored
by a 1/2-length in :19.625.
The Vessels Maturity gave Chocolatito a pro- visional berth to the 440-yard Champion of Champions-G1, scheduled for Dec. 12 at Los Alamitos. The gelding previously
won the 2020 Kaweah Bar Handicap-G3 and 2019 Dillingham Handicap for owner Dr. Ed Allred. He also
Governors Cup Derby-RG2
NOMADIC
by Tracy Gantz
The top three finishers of the July 26 Governor’s Cup Derby-RG2 had several things in common. Most notably, Dr. Ed Allred bred and races them all, and Scott Willoughby trains them. Nomadic and Up For Speed, the first two finishers, are by Favorite Cartel and have Corona Cartel in both sides of their pedigree, while third-place Just Be Real is inbred to Beduino and by Walk Thru Fire.
Nomadic qualified the fastest of the entire field on July 12 and went off as the 9-10 favorite. Vinnie Bednar qualified both Nomadic and Just Be Real, and he stuck with Nomadic for the final.
“He was doing fantastic after the trials,” Willoughby said of Nomadic. “All my horses were doing really well.”
Nomadic broke on top from the 6-post and lengthened his advantage
finished second in the PCQHRA Breeders Derby-G3.
“I think Chocolatito will love 440 yards,” said Willoughby. “I wish they were all 440.
He is a completely different horse this year. He’s had just a little trouble in the gate. He
is nice and calm in the paddock. Last year he would come up a little hot and wound up. This
year he has been perfect.” Dr. Steve Burns bred
Chocolatito in California,
and Allred purchased him
for $50,000 at the 2017
Los Alamitos Equine Sale. Chocolatito is out of the Burns homebred graded stakes winner Enjoy The Walk, who has produced seven winners from 11 starters, including stakes winner Eagles Soar.
Turner Farms bred second- place Jess Macho Corona (Corona Cartel-Jess Send
throughout the 400 yards. He crossed the wire 3/4-length in front of Up For Speed, with Just Be Real another 1/2-length back in third. Nomadic completed the distance in :19.615, posting a 97 speed index.
At two last year, Nomadic scored in the Ed Burke Juvenile Stakes. He also qualified to the Los Alamitos $2 Million Futurity-G1.
“After the Los Alamitos $2 Million, when he had a little bit of trouble at the gate and
finished fourth, we came back and he just didn’t fire in the Los Alamitos Winter Derby final,” said Willoughby. “We gave him some time off, and it worked out well.”
This was Allred’s first victory in the Governor’s Cup Derby since he won the 2008 edition with Really A First.
Allred bred Nomadic out of Moonlight Corona, who won multiple stakes for him on the track. The
Me) and co-owns the gelding with Gary Nutt. Jairo Rangel rode Jess Macho Corona, and Paul Jones trains him. Jess Macho Corona finished second in the 2019 All American Derby-G1 and First Down Dash Handicap.
Legacy Ranch’s homebred Mister Appolitical (Apollitical Jess-LR Miss Atina) finished third. Jesus Ayala piloted the 4-year- old gelding for trainer Terry Knight. Mister Appolitical won the 2019 PCQHRA Breeders Derby-G3 and Southern California Derby-G3.
Completing the field were Cole Man 47 (Stel Corona-GM Silver Dreams), Bail Czech (Corona Czech-Letty Bail Regis Out), Get Away Car (Corona Cartel-Fast Red Rose), Santander (FDD Dynasty-Im A Feature Girl), Kissed By An Eagle (One Famous Eagle- Dreaming Of Kisses), and Jess Bet Me (One Sweet Jess-Miss Kittys Bar Bet).
mare has produced 14 winners in 18 starters, including stakes-placed Stroller and Circle City. Moonlight Corona is a half-sister to Champion Your First Moon, the dam of mul- tiple Champion Moonist.
Jesus Ayala rode Up For Speed (Favorite Cartel-Up For It) to second. Up For Speed has won three prior races.
Oscar Andrade Jr. piloted Just Be Real (Walk Thru Fire-Realistically) to third. Just Be Real won last year’s Autumn Handicap.
Completing the field were Runforyourlife (Favorite Cartel-Remember Me Rose), Javelina Cantina (Foose-Little Talks), Cattail Cove (Favorite Cartel-Katie Katella), Fayvorite Chick (Favorite Cartel-Chicks Tell), Bono Is Good (Favorite Cartel-Sables Bono), and Fire By Night (Walk Thru Fire-Chicks Tell). Close To It was scratched.
RACING NEWS
Los Alamitos $154,252 • 400 yards :19.625 • si 96
Favorite Trick TB
Favorite Cartel
Shenoshercorona
CHOCOLATITO, ‘16-g.
Walk Thru Fire
Enjoy The Walk
Enjoy The Moment
Los Alamitos $180,000 • 400 yards :19.615 • si 97
Favorite Trick TB
Favorite Cartel
Shenoshercorona
NOMADIC, ‘17-g.
Corona Cartel
Moonlight Corona
Moon Arisen
SPEEDHORSE August 2020 145
Los Alamitos Los Alamitos