Page 162 - June 2016

La Pacifica Handicap
JESS RAVIN
by Tracy Gantz
Jess Ravin avenged herself against Jess Good Reason in the La Pacifica Handicap at Los Alamitos on May 13. Jess Good Reason had defeated Jess Ravin in the La Primera Del Ano Derby-G3, but this time Jess Ravin took home the trophy.
Jess Good Reason went off as the 1-2 favorite, while Jess Ravin was the 3-1 second choice. Jess Ravin got away beautifully on the rail while Jess Good Reason veered in and bumped horses. Jockey Jesus Ayala and Jess Ravin flew to the lead and couldn’t be caught. The filly was never headed and scored by 1 1/4-lengths in :17.563 for the 350 yards.
Yanet Rodriguez trains Jess Ravin for Enrique Gonzalez’s EG High Desert Farms. Jess Ravin has finished first or second in five of six starts. The $13,750 payday from this event boosted her total earnings to $62,837.
You and Me Partners bred Jess Ravin in Oklahoma from stakes-placed Jessica Ravin. The mare, from the family of Champions Ive Been Blessed, This Snow Is Royal, Florentine, & Calyx, has produced six winners from 10 starters, including stakes winner/New Mexico Hi-Point Aged Stallion Jess Cuervo and stakes winner/New Track Record setter Paintyourownwagon.
Maggie Durant (One Sweet Jess-Up Down Dash), bred by Spackman Racing, who owns her with trainer Lin Melton, finished second under jockey Eduardo Nicasio. Zendaya (Foose-Red Hawk Chick) ran third for jockey Jonathan Roman, trainer Ricardo Guillen, and owner Clemente Hurtado.
Completing the field were Reason Enough (Good Reason SA-Ronatac), Tough Broad (TR Dasher- Feminista), Shes A Temptation (First Down Dash-A Tempting Chick), Miss Special Regard (Chicks Regard-The Special Side), Jess Good Reason (Good Reason SA-Jess Call Me Tieing) and Strawfinders Jessee (One Sweet Jess-Strawfinder).
Miss Princess Handicap-G3
VIVID
by Tracy Gantz
When Vivid missed getting in foal this year, owner Howard Nichols and trainer Jose Flores elected to bring her back to the races. It turned out to be a good decision, as Vivid captured the Miss Princess Handicap at Los Alamitos on May 14.
“She only had two 220-yard works, but going far for this mare really comes natural to her ever since she was a baby,” said Flores.
Only four horses entered the starting gate for
the 350-yard Miss Princess Handicap. Vivid broke third, but all four stayed close throughout the race. Jockey Guillermo Suarez urged Vivid forward, and she responded to take the lead late and win by a nose in :17.644. The $11,200 payday boosted the filly’s earnings to $74,467.
Vivid first became a stakes winner when she took the 2014 Ed Burke Memorial Juvenile Stakes, and she also finished second in that year’s Golden State Juvenile Stakes. Last year she won the A Ransom Handicap.
Nichols bought California-bred Vivid for $45,000 from breeder Dr. Ed Allred at the 2013
Los Alamitos Yearling Sale. Realistically, Vivid’s dam, won the 2006 Kansas Derby and has produced 100% money earners from six starters, including stakes-placed Smithy. Realistically is a 1/2-sister to stakes winners Really A First, Seldom Happens, and Rarely Happens.
Time For Jess (Apollitical Jess-Coronation Time) ran second for jockey Carlos Huerta and trainer Lin Melton. Spackman Racing owns the 3-year-old filly, who has won twice and placed in three of her 10 starts.
Dennie and Kris Hill’s homebred Apolitical Zoom (Apollitical Jess-K D Zoom) ran third with Cesar DeAlba aboard. Bret Vickery trains the 4-year-old filly, winner of last year’s Las Damas Handicap-G3.
Blabber (Kiddy Up-Thinking Out Loud) fin- ished fourth, while Foo Who was scratched.
Dillingham Handicap
FLAY
by Tracy Gantz
Trainer Paul Jones knows Flay’s family well, having trained and co-owned the colt’s dam, Summertime Quickie. The mare won the 2001 La Pacifica Handicap at Los Alamitos, and now her son—bred, trained, and co-owned by Jones—has become a stakes winner at the track by capturing the Dillingham Handicap on May 7.
Jones owns Flay with Thompson Racing Inc. They unveiled him at Los Alamitos last December, and he responded with a prompt maiden victory. Since then he has won another race and finished second three times, including a neck loss to Freakish in this year’s James S. Smith Memorial Handicap.
In the Dillingham, favored My Favorite Check broke inward toward Flay, but that didn’t bother Flay or jockey Oscar Peinado. Flay came on to take charge about halfway through the 400-yard race. He drew off to win by 3/4-length in :19.786. The $13,750 winner’s share of the $25,000 purse increased Flay’s bankroll to $47,637.
California-bred Flay isn’t the first stakes winner Summertime Quickie has produced. She is also the dam of Champion and millionaire Foose, now a sire in California. The mare has produced nine winners in 11 starters, including stakes-placed Asyouwish.
Mi Viejo (Mr Jess Perry-Lady Of Lake TB) ran second for the husband and wife jockey and trainer team of Rodrigo and Adriana Aceves. Rancho El Alacran Inc. owns the sorrel colt.
Ronald Hartley’s homebred My Favorite Check (Favorite Cartel-Six Checks) closed for third under jockey Tony Guymon. John Cooper trains the geld- ing, who finished second in the El Primero Del Ano Derby-G3.
Freakish (Stel Corona-Chickafirst) finished fourth, followed by Los Plan B (Volcom-Daddies Little Girl) and Otta Be A Prize (First Prize Stone- Otta Be Special).
Los Alamitos • $25,000 350 yards • :17.563 • si 93
Holland Ease
Corona Chick Mr Jess Perry
Corona Cartel
JESS RAVIN, ’13-f. Jessica Ravin
The Ravin Maniac
Los Alamitos • $20,000 350 yards • :17.644 • si 90
Walk Thru Fire VIVID, ’12-f.
First Down Dash
Sweet Beduino
Separatist
Realistically
Really Rare
Los Alamitos • $25,000 400 yards • :19.786 • si 91
Favorite Cartel FLAY, ’13-c.
Favorite Trick TB
Shenoshercorona
Royal Quick Dash
Summertime Quickie
Summertime High
160 SPEEDHORSE, June 2016
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