Page 135 - December 2016

Southern California Derby-G2
UNO CORONA MAS
by Tracy Gantz
Elena Andrade has a pedigree that guar- anteed she would work with racehorses. Her mother, Betsy Mora, is a former trainer,
and her sister, Angela Aquino, is a leading Thoroughbred trainer at Los Alamitos. Elena’s husband, Oscar Sr., is a former leading Los Alamitos jockey, and their son, Oscar Jr., has started to gallop horses.
Elena reached the pinnacle of her training career, so far, when Uno Corona Mas, a horse she bred and trains, won the Dec. 18 Southern California Derby-G2. The Andrade family races the colt in Oscar Sr.’s name, owning him in partner- ship with Steve Burns.
That night Elena’s mother was there to see one daugh- ter win the Los Alamitos Thoroughbred title and the other capture the Southern California Derby.
OHA Mystery Futurity-RG3
BELLS BIG HERO
“It turned out to be a great night for my mom,” said Elena. “It’s because of her that this is where we are. She instilled the love of horses in us.”
Breaking from the outside with Jesus Ayala aboard, Uno Corona Mas bulleted to the front and was never headed. Though favored Time
Fina, who is owned and trained by Elena. The mare has produced 100% money earners from eight starters, including stakes-placed Mucho Fuego and Jess Mas.
Time For Jess (Apollitical Jess-Coronation Time) was 2nd under Carlos Huerta for trainer Lin Melton and owner Spackman Racing. The Parsons Family Limited Partnership’s home- bred Dynasty Energy (FDD Dynasty-Terrific Energy) ran 3rd under Cesar DeAlba for trainer Christopher O’Dell. Followed by Stevie B First Cash (First Down Dash-Spit Curl Diva), Ima Fearless Hero (Valiant Hero-Dasha Freda), Jess A Pollitician (Apollitical Jess-Royal Motions), We Like Corona (Corona Cartel-Jess Jets), Nymph (Foose-Elans Last) & Thermonuclear Energy (Walk Thru Fire-Terrific Energy). Jess Good Reason (Good Reason SA-Jess Call Me Tieing) reared in the starting gate and lost the rider.
Jess Big Time. She has produced two starters, both winners/ROM earners. Bells Big Hero is her top earner and first stakes winner.
Dicecapades (Prospect To The Top-Dicey Riley) finished second under James Flores
for owner Terry McLean and trainer Gerry McLean. JC Wild Rose (Apollitical Jess-On Cherokee Rose) was third for owner Jose Cervantes and trainer Luis Villafranco under Mario Delgado. Followed by E Catching Fire (PYC Paint Your Wagon-First Prize Leesa), Tempting Blonde (Tempting Dash-Second Down Blondie), PV Eye Desire Candy (Desirio-Eye On The Candy), PY Sea (PYC Paint Your Wagon-Shrewd Victory), Hold Air Hostage (Apollitical Jess-Fols Zookie Cookie), Ms Prize Diamond (Spit Curl Jess-First Prize Diamond) and Winnspiration (Dominyun- Quick Moon Sign).
For Jess made it close at
the wire, Uno Corona Mas held off the filly to win by a head in :19.813.
Uno Corona Mas got his barn name of Oso (Spanish for bear) because he was “a big furball” as a baby, Elena said. Oso previ- ously qualified for a couple of derbies, but the Southern California Derby was his first stakes victory.
Elena bred Uno Corona Mas in California from stakes placed Corona Mas
Los Alamitos $168,500 • 400 yards :19.813 • si 90
Mr Jess Perry
One Sweet Jess
One Sweet Dash
UNO CORONA MAS, ’13-c.
Corona Cartel
Corona Mas Fina
Lantys Signature
by John Moorehouse
Bells Big Hero surprised the oddsmakers, win- ning the $177,000 Oklahoma Horsemen’s Association Mystery Futurity-RG3 as an 11-1
longshot at Will Rogers Downs on Nov. 12. To hear trainer Clinton Crawford tell it, owner Gregory Cullum always had faith in the capa- bilities of this two-year-old gelding.
“He saw this horse had a lot of run; it
was getting a little hot in the paddock and get- ting even hotter on the racetrack.”
Bells Big Hero won his 350-yard futurity trial on Oct. 30, posting a time of :17.671
that ranked third on the qualifying ladder. In the finals, Bells Big Hero battled Dicecapades throughout, but out-nodded the filly at the wire to log a :17.590 time and earn a 94 speed index. Agustin Silva rode Bells Big Hero, who now has
three wins in seven starts with a $80,606 bankroll.
“He drew the 1-hole and to me, the inside’s been fast pretty much all meet long
at Will Rogers,” Crawford stated. “He drew the perfect hole. He would be out of trouble. If he got his start like he did in the trials, he’d be the horse to outrun.”
The Terry Bell Estate- bred Bells Big Hero is out of 2-time graded stakes winner
just took a little while for him together,” Crawford said. The conditioner started working with Bells Big Hero about two months ago after Cullum decided to change trainers.
“He was a little bit hot, a little bit nervous. The things that we did to him were just to get him to focus a little bit bet- ter,” Crawford said. “Standing him in the gate, taking him over to the track and doing some things over there to chill him out a little bit because he
to put it all
Will Rogers Downs $177,000 • 350 yards :17.590 • si 94
First Down Dash
Valiant Hero
Corona Chick
BELLS BIG HERO, ‘14-g.
Bigtime Favorite
Jess Big Time
Jess Me Yall
SPEEDHORSE, December 2016 133
RACING NEWS
Coady Photography Los Alamitos