Page 50 - 23 November 2012

Robert l. Boniface los alamitos invitational Championship-G1
ChiValRy SR
by Tracy Gantz
World Champion Cold Cash 123 showed he was mortal in the Oct. 28 Robert
L. Boniface Los Alamitos Invitational Championship-G1 at Los Alamitos. He came away from the gate slowly and could not catch either Chivalry SR or El Aguila Real, ending a winning streak that began a year ago and encompassed six races.
But Chivalry SR has put together winning streaks of his own and is a formidable foe.
“He’s a very quick horse out of the gate,” said Jose Flores, who recently took over Chivalry SR’s training.
The third choice behind 2-5 favorite Cold Cash 123 and 7-2 El Aguila Real in the 440-yard Boniface, Chivalry SR broke on top and veered in slightly. Jockey Cruz Mendez straightened him out, and they sped for the wire.
El Aguila Real tried to catch him, while Cold Cash 123 seemed to be missing the devas- tating acceleration at the end that has often car- ried him to the front. Though they both closed ground, Chivalry SR was able to hold them off, defeating El Aguila Real by a head, with Cold Cash 123 another neck back in third. Chivalry SR stopped the timer in :21.519.
“He’s a great horse, and great horses usually do get lucky,” said Flores.
Owner-breeder Albert Stern was naturally delighted with his horse’s performance, espe- cially being able to defeat the World Champion.
“We thought he’d do really well,” said Stern, who wasn’t about to miss seeing his homebred take on Cold Cash 123.
The race fell on the same night as a benefit Stern was holding at his home in Malibu, Calif. An accomplished violin soloist, Stern entertained about 250 guests to benefit a survivors’ fund for the Drug Enforcement Administration.
“It benefits the fallen agents, their families, and their children’s education,” said Stern. “One of the requests was ‘The Flight of the Bumblebee,’ and I think I set a world record for the fastest playing of that song so that I could rush to make it here.”
Stern made it to Los Alamitos in time, and he plans to be back on Dec. 15 for the Champion of Champions-G1. Chivalry SR earned a berth in that race with the Boniface
victory. Stern hopes that his horse can improve on his third in the Champion of Champions last year. He will likely again meet Cold Cash 123 and El Aguila Real, both of whom had earned berths with victories earlier in the year.
The Boniface was Chivalry SR’s fourth stakes win, following the 2010 Vandy’s
Flash Handicap-G3, 2011 Spencer Childers California Breeders’-RG1, and 2011 Z Wayne Griffin Director’s Stakes. He placed in four other stakes last year.
Following last year’s Champion of Champions, Chivalry SR underwent
what Stern called “minor clean-up surgery.” Dr. Wayne McIlwraith performed the surgery on a knee. The gelding returned in the Sept. 23 Go Man Go Handicap-G1, where he ran sixth to Cold Cash 123.
“He needed an out on the night of the Go Man Go,” said Flores.
Stern bred Chivalry SR in California from the prolific broodmare Artesias Beduino. She has produced 11 winners in 20 starters, including 2001 Wine Country Derby winner Serenity Dash and stakes-placed Venus Flight, Champion
Ways, and Shona Tova. The second dam, Artesia, was the 1998 Broodmare of the Year whose foals included Champion Artesias Specialchic.
Artesias Beduino has an embryo transfer full sibling to Chivalry SR due in 2013. Stern said that he also has a full sister in foal to Treis Seis and half-sisters in foal to Walk Thru Fire and PYC Paint Your Wagon.
“We are set for the future,” he said.
Eduardo Nicasio piloted El Aguila Real (Corona Czech-I Am All That) to second for trainer Francisco Vallejo. Javier Molina owns the 4-year-old gelding, who was coming off
of three consecutive wins—the Los Alamitos Winter Championship Stakes-G1 and the trial and final of the Vessels Maturity-G1.
Carolyn and Walt Bay own and bred Cold Cash 123 (Oak Tree Special-Hot Cash 123) in the name of their T Bill Stables Inc. Trained by Dwayne (Sleepy) Gilbreath until he came to Los Alamitos, Cold Cash 123 is conditioned by Dennis Ekins in California. Regular rider Roy Baldillez was aboard. Cold Cash 123’s six- race win streak included five Grade 1 stakes.
Completing the field were Thisfeatureisspecial (Feature Mr Jess-This Girl Is Special), Sparky
E Boy (Hawkinson-Yr Brown Lucy), Personal Mission (Special Leader-Tantalizing Eyes), Storm Feet (Make It Anywhere-Special Copauino), and Costly Man (Walk Thru Fire-Costly).
Los Alamitos $145,500 • 440 yards :21.519 • si 91
First Down Dash
Walk Thru Fire
Sweet Beduino
CHIVALRY SR, ’07-g.
Beduino TB
Artesias Beduino
Artesia
48 SPEEDHORSE, November 23, 2012
Chivalry SR (#1) went wire to wire in the Robert L. Boniface Los Alamitos Invitational Championship-G1.
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