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Los Alamitos Winter Championship-G1
RYLEES BOY
by Tracy Gantz
On a night when a gaggle of boys much younger than 8-year-old Rylees Boy staged their own races on the Los Alamitos
apron, Rylees Boy demonstrated that old guys can run too. Champion Aged Horse of 2012 and twice Champion Aged Gelding, Rylees Boy became the oldest horse ever to win the Los Alamitos Winter Championship-G1. In doing so, he defeated a field that included six 4-year-old “youngsters.”
“He’s a war horse,” said trainer Paul Jones, a multiple champion in his own right. “He likes what he’s doing, and he just has a gear that the other horses don’t have.”
The Winter Championship attracted a first-class field. Three of the nine had earned more than $1 million: Rylees Boy, 2011 World Champion Cold Cash 123, and 9-year-old Jess You And I, who won the Winter Championship in 2009 and was making a record fifth start
in the race. Check My Thoughts captured last year’s Golden State Derby-G1 and Southern California Derby-G1, and New Look was a multiple stakes winner in 2012.
Jones was a little concerned that Rylees Boy might have trouble handling the Winter Championship field at the distance.
“I didn’t know if Rylee could get up at 400 yards,” the trainer said. “I thought he’d need the extra yards to get up because those horses are so quick. He was able to stay close enough. Even halfway down he was beaten quite a ways.”
Bills Last, also trained by Jones, broke on top, while Rylees Boy came away fifth.
“Rylees Boy is not real fast early, but when he gets rolling he can run by anybody,” said Jones.
With Ramon Sanchez aboard, Rylees Boy did indeed get rolling. He began picking up horses quickly as they approached the wire, and he caught Bills Last four strides from the finish to win by a half-length in :19.636. That gave Jones first and second in a race the trainer has now won a record five times.
Lorena Velazquez Rodriguez owns Rylees Boy, and Jones began training him the middle of last year. After a rough trip in the Go Man Go Handicap-G1, Rylees Boy won the Bank of America Challenge Championship-G1 at Prairie Meadows and then the Champion of Champions-G1 back at Los Alamitos.
The gelding is the oldest horse ever to win the Champion of Champions. He could break his own record this year because he earned an automatic berth to this year’s edition with his Winter Championship victory.
“I think Rylees Boy might need a break now,” said Jones. “He’ll go to my ranch in Temecula.”
Jones said he would look at the stakes schedule and plan a route back to the Dec. 14 Champion of Champions. Unlike last year, when Rylees Boy spent part of his year at Sunland Park, Jones said he would probably keep the geld- ing in California.
With the Winter
Championship victory,
Rylees Boy brought his record to 22 wins in 45 starts for earnings of $1,393,862. He has won 10 stakes and placed in nine others.
Gary Nesbitt bred Rylees Boy in Arizona by crossing his homebred winning mare Pipistrelle with Heza Motor Scooter,
who won the 2001 El Primero Del Ano Derby-G2 at Los Alamitos. Pipistrelle has produced three winners from seven starters.
Paul Blanchard’s Bills Last (Shazoom- Crystalinas), the second-fastest qualifier to the Winter Championship behind Last To Fire,
finished second in his trial and the final. Cesar DeAlba rode him in both races for Jones. Bills Last qualified to the All American Futurity-G1 and All American Derby-G1, and he finished third in the Animas Stakes.
Hez Our Secret (First Down Dash-Secret Separation), the third-fastest qualifier, saved third by a neck with Ricky Ramirez in the irons. Trey Wood trains the 4-year-old colt for owner
Johnny Trotter. Hez Our Secret won the 2012 Z. Wayne Griffin Directors Trial, ran second in last year’s All American Derby, and finished fourth in the Champion of Champions.
Completing the field were Last To
Fire (Walk Thru Fire-Last Shall Be First), Check My Thoughts (Check Him Out-Just Think), Cold Cash 123 (Oak Tree Special- Hot Cash 123), Jess You And I (Feature Mr Jess-Gold Daze), New Look (Walk Thru Fire-Make Over), and Bovet (Corona Cartel-Jess Genuine).
72 SPEEDHORSE, March 8, 2013
Los Alamitos

Heza Fast Man
Heza Motor Scooter
Hot Tin Lizzie
RYLEES BOY, ’05-g.
Rocky Jones
Pipistrelle
Josie Gun
Rylees Boy overcomes a bumped break to win the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Winter Championship by 1/2-length.
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