Page 130 - March 2017

Los Alamitos Winter Derby-G1
IMAQTPIE
by Tracy Gantz
Jaime Gomez figuratively wears many hats, though when he’s at Los Alamitos, he usu- ally has on his distinctive cowboy hat. Not only is Gomez one of the top trainers at Los Alamitos, he breeds good runners.
One of those good runners, Imaqtpie, sur- prised many when she captured the $220,402 Grade 1 Los Alamitos Winter Derby-G1 on Feb. 11.
“We raise a nice bunch of babies every year at my little 13-acre ranch in Murrieta,” said Gomez. “We feed them pretty well and take good care of them.”
Gomez and James Streelman of Dutch Masters III have succeeded together for about 30 years, and Dutch Masters owns Imaqtpie.
“If you ever go out to Jaime’s ranch and see the horses that he raises - you just don’t see better-looking babies than those,” said Streelman. “I end up buying half of them. Jaime does a great job at the ranch and does a great job at the racetrack.”
Imaqtpie drew the rail in the Los Alamitos Winter Derby, just as she did in her first race, the only other time she had won.
Rain required the track to be sealed, and it was listed as wet fast.
When the gate opened, favored One Proud Eagle hopped in the air and got away slowly. Imaqtpie broke fifth under jockey Rodrigo Aceves, but she quickly got into stride and took the lead. From there she widened her advantage, and while a few tried to close, Imaqtpie won by three-quarters of a length in :19.670 for the 400 yards. She went off at 11-1 as the sixth choice.
Though Imaqtpie was only winning her second race, she has competed well and was unlucky in several tries.
“She was the 11th-fastest qualifier to
the Golden State Million Futurity and the 11th-fastest qualifier to the Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity,” Gomez said.
“She was just milliseconds away from quali- fying to the two richest races at Los Alamitos last year,” the trainer said. “We just had some bad luck, but we knew she was capable of doing great things. We just couldn’t have any mis- takes, and she didn’t make any tonight.”
In eight lifetime starts, Imaqtpie now has two wins, two seconds, and three thirds.
She previously finished second in her Los Alamitos Winter Derby trial on Jan. 21, just a neck behind fastest-qualifer Jess Hawk. With this victory in the Winter Derby finals,
the deposit of the $94,458 winner’s share takes her bank account to $105,358.
“She blew them away,” said Streelman of her trial heat after Imaqtpie was bumped at the start. “She was only three-hundredths of a second off the fastest quali- fier in the trials and was the third-fastest qualifier. She likes the inside.
“When we came to the
Vessels Club tonight, my wife saw the beauti- ful trophy and said, ‘Wouldn’t it be nice to take that trophy home?’ I told her, ‘Yes, but don’t count on it.’ I was talking to Jaime after the draw about the number one post, but he told me not to worry about it,” Streelman con- tinued. “He liked that spot for our filly.”
Gomez bred Imaqtpie in California from multiple stakes winner Sizzling. The mare has produced six winners from seven starters, including stakes-placers Down Rite Fast and Fire Fortune.
“I really like this filly,” said Gomez of Imaqtpie. “She’s gotten bigger and bigger, and her mother, Sizzling, is one of the best mamas that I have. She’s one of the top blacktype
mares that I have in the breeding shed.”
Gomez is looking forward to more of Sizzling’s foals. The mare has three 2015 foals—a full sister to Imaqtpie and two colts by Walk Thru Fire—as well as a yearling colt by Walk Thru Fire.
EG High Desert Farm’s homebred Jess Hawk (One Sweet Jess-Merridoc Hawk) finished second under jockey
Jesus Ayala. Yanet Rodriguez trains the filly, who last year won the Pat Hyland Handicap and finished third in the Autumn Handicap and Holiday Handicap.
Eulices Gomez piloted Kiddy Up Cowgirl (Kiddy Up-Girls Choice) to third for trainer Jimmy Glenn Jr. The Rod MacPherson Jr. Living Trust owns the filly, who has won three of 11 starts including her trial to this contest.
Completing the field were Staggering Stride (Mr Jess Perry-Dinastia Toll Brz), Blueeyedeagle (One Dashing Eagle-Linda Te Chick),
Katella Deli (Foose-Katie Katella), Bannister (Maknmoves-Goddess Artemis), Jouet With Fire (Walk Thru Fire-Perrier Jouet), and One Proud Eagle (One Famous Eagle-Guy Chasing).
Los Alamitos Race Course $220,402 • 400 yards :19.670 • si 94
Mr Jess Perry
One Famous Eagle
One Famous Lady
IMAQTPIE, ’14-f.
Corona Cartel
Sizzling
Tiny Dash Of Cash
128 SPEEDHORSE, March 2017
Imaqtpie & Rodrigo Aceves win the $220,402 Grade 1 Los Alamitos Winter Derby
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