Page 42 - 23 November 2012

los alamitos Super Derby-G1
DeniRO
by Stacy Pigott
Shane O’Leary’s Deniro took a round-about path to the Champion of Champions that started in the Firecracker Futurity at Grants Pass and ended in the $929,040 Los Alamitos Super Derby-G1. With his neck victory in the Nov. 3 Super Derby, Deniro scored his first stakes win and secured a spot in the $750,000 Champion of Champions-G1, to be held on Dec. 15 at Los Alamitos.
“We always had a lot of faith in him, that’s why we sent him down here in the first place to Los Alamitos,” said O’Leary, who is silent partners in Deniro with long-time friends Mike Hickman— brother of breeders Greg and Renee Hickman— and Scott Brundridge. “When he turned out to be the fastest qualifier for the Winter Derby we were very happy. He didn’t break very well in the final, he got beat by a nose.”
Deniro had started his career for trainer Scott Raley at Sun Downs, winning a futurity consola- tion before traveling to Grants Pass Downs in Oregon. There, he was second in the Firecracker Futurity. He moved to Portland Meadows for the Far West Futurity, finishing fourth there before moving south to Los Alamitos and the barn of trainer Jose De La Torre.
“I got the horse at the beginning of the year,” said De La Torre. “I worked the horse for the first time and I told them, ‘You guys have an amazing horse. You’re probably going to do good here.’”
De La Torre was right, as Deniro was the fastest qualifier for the Los Alamitos Winter Derby-G1. In the finals, he veered in and bumped twice at the start yet still rallied to finish second, beaten a nose by Kobe. On the strength of that effort, Deniro’s connections paid him late into the Rainbow and All American Derby trials at Ruidoso Downs, and also to the Los Alamitos Super Derby. The first two gambles didn’t pay off, as Deniro ran fifth in his Rainbow Derby trial and won his All American Derby trial, but failed to qualify for the finals of either race.
“We took him down to New Mexico for the trials there, and we just didn’t have any luck there. He didn’t like the climate and the altitude. He likes it here,” said O’Leary. “He can do it, he just didn’t have the racing luck.”
Deniro’s luck changed on Nov. 3. De La Torre had decided to return to jockey Adrian Loza, who had ridden Deniro in two of his best efforts—the Winter Derby trials and final. The grey gelding minded his manners in the starting gate, tossing his head only once before breaking cleanly from post six. Hez Our Secret also got off to a fast start from the nine hole. By the
time the field reached the gap, Deniro had taken the lead, and, under a handride, cruised to a neck win, covering the 400 yards in :19.409.
“Since we brought him
back from Ruidoso and
worked him, we knew he was a
different horse. He showed it today,” said De La Torre. “He ran super good. Hopefully he comes back and can do some damage in the Champion of Champions. I’ve never been in that race. This is the first time I’ve been invited to that race.”
Deniro earned $398,160 for his Super Derby win, which was his fifth from 12 starts. With career earnings of $450,543, the Desirio gelding is the richest runner for his dam, Priscilla Ione, who is named after breeder Greg Hickman’s grandmother. Priscilla Ione has three foals, all of which are starters and stakes horses. Her first, Dippin In The Cash, was third in the 2010 Portland Meadows Derby the year she was named the Northwest Hi-Point 3-Year-Old Filly. Dippin In The Cash was followed by So Many Memories, who was third in the Portland Meadows and Far
West Futurities in 2010. Deniro is her third foal. While the Hickmans don’t raise horses anymore, choosing instead to focus on red
angus cattle, the entire family is already planning a trip to Los Alamitos in December to watch their prodigy run.
Johnny Trotter’s Hez Our Secret (First Down Dash- Secret Separation) came the closest to spoiling Deniro’s
plans, finishing second. Ricky Ramirez rode the colt for trainer Trey Wood. Hez Our Secret was second in the All American Derby-G1 and fourth in the Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity-G1.
Finishing three-quarters of a length back in third was Check My Thoughts (Check Him Out- Just Think), ridden by Eulices Gomez for trainer James Glenn Jr. Edward Allred bred and owns the gelding, who has never finished lower than third in 12 starts including seven stakes races. Earlier this year, he won the Golden State Derby-G1.
Rounding out the field were Do You Do Corona (Corona Cartel-Mia Do You Love
Me), Tres Of Linda (Tres Seis-Lindas Dasher), Flame N Flash (Walk Thru Fire-Oh La Proud), Zoomdasher (Azoom-Dashing Little Reba), Feature Miss America (Feature Mr Jess-Hardy Hateful), and Last To Fire(Walk Thru Fire-Last Shall Be First). A nine-horse gate ran when Terrific Synergy was euthanized before the finals due to a hock infection and subsequent founder.
Los Alamitos $929,040 • 400 yards :19.409 • si 94
Strawfly Special
Desirio
Lady Tenaya
DENIRO, ’09-g.
Mr Eye Opener
Priscilla Ione
Dishin Out The Cash
40 SPEEDHORSE, November 23, 2012
Adrian Loza and Deniro scored an easy neck victory in the $929,040 Grade 1 Los Alamitos Super Derby.
Racing news
Stacy Pigott: Speedhorse