Page 174 - October 2015

Golden State Derby-G2
HEZA DASHA FIRE
by Tracy Gantz
Heza Dasha Fire returned to the races as a 3-year-old as good or better than he was at two, and that’s saying something. He turned in
a near-perfect record last year that earned him the title of Champion 2-Year-Old Gelding. If his win in the Aug. 23 Golden State Derby-G2 is any indication, he could add another title or two this year.
“Heza Dasha Fire just continues to amaze us,” said Don Meneely. Meneely and his wife, Kathy, bred and race Heza Dasha Fire with their son Shawn in the name of S-Quarter K LLC.
Bettors hammered Heza Dasha Fire to 1-10 favoritism in the 400-yard Golden State Derby final. Despite a 10-horse field, Los Alamitos didn’t offer place or show wagering on the race because he was such a standout.
Jockey Cruz Mendez never even asked Heza Dasha Fire, who blasted to the lead out of the gate. The others tried to keep pace, but with Mendez not even moving his hands, Heza Dasha Fire coasted home by 1 1/2-lengths in :19.577.
“Heza Dasha Fire, in my opinion, might be the best 3-year-old in the country,” said Los Alamitos track announcer Ed Burgart.
Mendez has been aboard for all of Heza Dasha Fire’s races. “He’s a monster of a horse,” said the jockey. “I had a lot of faith in him because every time I worked him I could feel his strength. Towards the end of the race I just had to get his attention a little bit because he was moving his ears all over the place and watching what was going on.”
Jose Flores trains Heza Dasha Fire, who has made all of his nine starts at Los Alamitos. Last year he put together a six-race winning streak that included the first two legs of the Los Alamitos Cash Bonanza, the Ed Burke Million Futurity-G1 and Golden State Million Futurity-G1. In his only loss, he finished fourth in the Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity-G1, third leg of the Cash Bonanza.
After the Two Million Futurity, his con- nections sent Heza Dasha Fire to Dr. Rick and Mindy Overly’s Lazy Creek Ranch in Murrieta, Calif.
“Lazy Creek Ranch did a great job taking care of Heza Dasha Fire,” said Meneely. “I felt like they gave him the best care in the world.”
When Flores got the gelding back into the track about three months before the Golden State Derby, he adjusted his diet from last year.
“He lost some weight towards the end of the year, and I think that may have hurt him late in the year,” said the trainer. “We took
our time with him. We gave him two short works and then a 350-yard work. He’s the kind of horse that tells you when he’d ready. He’s more bouncy, more on the muscle.”
Heza Dasha Fire went into his Golden State Derby trial off those works and eas- ily qualified the fastest.
The Meneely family
bred Heza Dasha Fire from
Dasha Freda, who won the 2005 California Derby Challenge-G3 for them. She has pro- duced five winners from six starters, includ- ing stakes winners Heza Fearless Dasher and Ima Fearless Hero, the mare’s 2 year old.
Double Bar S Ranch LLC’s homebred Jess Cuz (Mr Jess Perry-Corona Couture) finished second for jockey Alejandro Luna and trainer Elena Andrade. The filly also ran
second to Heza Dasha Fire in their trial and was the second-fastest qualifier. Prior to that, she finished third in the Florentine Stakes against fillies.
Sass Me Blue (Valiant Hero-Jess Sass Me), 3rd to Heza Dasha Fire & Jess Cuz in their trial, ran 3rd again
in the final. Cesar DeAlba rode the filly for trainer Mike Casselman & owner Lucky
Seven Ranch. She has won 3 races in 6 starts. Followed by Chicanery (Stel Corona-
California Wildfire), One More Card
(Carters Cartel-Docs First Card), Run By You (Apollitical Jess-Fovee), Energy Cartel (Corona Cartel-Terrific Energy), Walk Around Blues (Walk Thru Fire-Queens R Blue), Lavish Ivory (Ivory James-Special Phoebe) & Valiant Energy (Valiant Hero-Terrific Energy).
Los Alamitos $180,200 • 400 yards :19.577 • si 95
First Down Dash
Walk Thru Fire
Sweet Beduino
HEZA DASHA FIRE, ’12-g.
Mr Jess Perry
Dasha Freda
Fearless Freda
172 SPEEDHORSE, October 2015
Heza Dasha Fire & Cruz Mendez lead at every call in the $180,200 Golden State Derby-G2
RACING NEWS
Los Alamitos