Page 87 - January 20 2012

Sunland Park Winter Derby-G2
Kool AnGel
by John Moorehouse
Achange of surroundings apparently has worked wonders for Kool Angel. The three-year-old filly improved her record under new trainer Paul Jones to 2-0, with a half- length victory in the $135,616 Sunland Park Winter Derby-G2 on Dec. 30.
“It was nice to get a horse of that caliber that’s able to step up and win a derby,” said Jones, who picked up Kool
Angel from her owners at
Macias Performance Horses
at the end of the 2011 meet at
Zia Park.
“We didn’t know anything about her,” Jones recalled. Actually, his assistant, Lisa Saumell, did the bulk of the work with Kool Angel while Jones was busy at his primary barn in California at Los Alamitos.
Kool Angel’s first start
under Jones and Saumell’s
conditioning regimen was in the trials for the Sunland Winter Derby. She covered the 400 yards in :19.419 to win her trial by two lengths.
She then proceeded to top herself in the stakes final, completing the race in :19.063 for her fastest-ever time at the 400-yard distance and the third-best speed index of her career.
“I’m impressed she was able to come back and run that race again. Sometimes you run a good race and then don’t repeat,” Jones said.
Kool Angel broke strongly from the nine hole and grabbed the
advantage by a head by first call. Jockey Esgar Ramirez pushed the filly in front by
a half-length by the time she entered the stretch, and held off The Steel Wave to win by that same margin.
It marked the first stakes win of Kool Angel’s career, and the mare now holds four victories in seven career outs with all four triumphs coming during the 2011 campaign. She
improved her lifetime earnings to $90,830 with the addition of the $63,740 payday from this stakes victory.
Jones intends to keep Kool Angel at Sunland through the winter and then re- evaluate the filly’s future plans.
Kool Angel is one of two starters and the sole stakes winner foaled out of her dam, Angels Best Effort. The 2002 mare is owned by Kapp Investment Company, and tallied one win in 11 starts before becoming a broodmare.
The Steel Wave (Ocean Runaway- Fashionisanattitude) finished second for owner Javier Marques. Trainer Roberto Sanchez did the prep work and jockey Salvador Martinez did the riding.
Zoomandkicken (Azoom-Kicken West), the pre-race favorite, placed third by a neck. Hector Ramirez is the owner and Trey Wood is the trainer. Jockey Ricky Ramirez drew the riding assignment.
The remaining order of finish was Rockin (Feature Mr Jess-Bonnie Rig), Oh Jess Fly (Fly Jess Fly-Oh What A Perks), Jesiacountrychick (Country Chicks Man-Miss Jess Rogue), Tres Menudos (Shazoom-Uno Menudo), Run Naked (Hotdoggin-Ruby Runned Oft), Jaynedalegrace (Wave Carver-Lady Jayne Cee) and BF Sonic Boom (Okey Dokey Dale-Echo Boomer).
Sunland Park $135,616 • 400 yards :19.063 • si 94
First Down Dash
First N Kool
Kool Kue Baby
KOOL ANGEL, f.
Proudest Effort
Angels Best Effort
Saint Of An Angel
Ridden by Esgar Ramirez, Kool Angel won the Sunland Park Winter Derby-G2 by a half-length over The Steel Wave.
SPEEDHORSE, January 20, 2012 85
racing news
Tommie Morelos/Coady Photography