Page 246 - September 2023

RACING NEWS
John Deere LA Juvenile Chal. Jens L List Jr Mem. Calif. Brds.’ S. DOUBLEDOWN123 SPACEFLIGHT
Calif. Brds.’ Freshman Stakes
READYFORIT
by Tracy Gantz
Ready For It lived up to his name with a sharp victory in the July 30 California Breeders’ Freshman Stakes at Los Alamitos.
Favored at even money and ridden by Jesus
Ayala, Ready For It was away a bit slowly and bumped at the start. But he powered home to win by a head in :17.835 for 350 yards.
Monty Arrossa trains Ready For It for Junior’s Quarter Horses Inc. Ready For It won his initial race and then had trouble and was unplaced in his trial for the Ed Burke Million Futurity-G1.
Dr. Ed Allred bred Ready For It in California from Up For It and consigned him to the 2022 Los Alamitos Equine Sale. Junior’s Quarter Horses bought the youngster for $162,000.
Allred bred Up For It and the second dam, unraced Fire For Toby. Up For It won the 2013 Governor’s Cup Futurity-RG2. The mare has produced nine winners from 12 starters, including stakes winners Up And Atem, She Goes Up, and Set For It, as well as stakes-placed Up For Speed.
Second dam is unraced Fire For Toby, 1/2-sister to Man From Nocona, winner of the 2007 Paul B Ford Memorial. Third dam is California Hi-Point Aged Mare and 6-time stakes winner Flare For Toby.
Dr. Steve Burns’ homebred Winners Share (Seperate Interest-One Sweet Winner) finished second. Jose Nicasio rode the gelding for trainer Mike Casselman. Winners Share has two seconds in four starts.
Allred also bred third-place So Can I (Seperate Interest-Girls Can Fly) and races the gelding. Jonathan Roman rode So Can I for trainer Scott Willoughby in the Freshman Stakes. So Can I won his first two starts.
Verbosity (Favorite Cartel-Blabber) and Beduinos Favorite (Favorite Cartel-Jess Ravin) finished fourth and fifth to complete the field.
by Tracy Gantz
Trainer Monty Arrossa saddled four horses in the John Deere Los Alamitos Juvenile Challenge
and finished one, two, three on Aug. 12. Perhaps appropriately, Double Down 123 won, with MV Royal Pappasito second and Jess Dynasty Time third.
Fastest-qualifier Double Down 123 went off as the 2-5 favorite, with Armando Cervantes aboard. She broke well, took the lead quickly, and won by 3/4-length in :17.683 for 350 yards.
Arrossa trains Double Down 123 for Taos River Ranch and Randy Young, an ownership group
that purchased the filly for $35,000 at the 2022 Heritage Place Yearling Sale. Double Down 123 broke her maiden in the Robert Adair Kindergarten Futurity-G2 and now has won three consecutive races, including her Challenge trial.
Bob and Jerry Gaston bred Double Down 123 in Texas from their homebred winner Double Down Darling. A half-sister to Champion Double Down Special, the mare has produced six starters, all winners, including multiple stakes winners Perrys Double Down and Tic It To The Dance and stakes- placed One Famous Darling.
Cruz Mendez rode second-place MV Royal Pappasito (Pappasito-Royal Fooseperrypie) for owner/breeders Andrea and Eddie Jensen. MV Royal Pappasito is a two-time winner. Young also co-owns third-place Jess Dynasty Time (FDD Dynasty-Time For Jess) with Dennis Jensen. Jesus Ayala rode the gelding, who broke his maiden July 2.
Completing the field were Kevins Knockout (KVN Corona-Aquafina), Sweet Bet (One Sweet Jess-Favorite Bet), Tooele (KVN Corona-VF Red Surprise), and Flying Cowgirl 321 (Flying Cowboy 123-Glimmer Mist). Attacked (Seperate Interest- Attack The Cartel) and Choosen One (Favorite Cartel- KVN Little Sister) both stumbled at the start, losing their riders. Wicked Cowgirl Smart was scratched.
by Tracy Gantz
Space Flight has still managed to win twice on the California Breeders Champions program at Los Alamitos. Most recently he captured the July 29 Jens
L. List Jr. Memorial California Breeders’ Stakes for 3 year olds.
The second choice in the 400-yard Jens List, Space Flight broke well this time. He put on a burst of speed in the final yards for jockey Jonathan Roman to win by a 1/2-length in :20.011, while posting an 84 speed index.
Scott Willoughby trains Space Flight for owner/breeder Dr. Ed Allred. Willoughby
said that he expects Space Flight to, “go on to be a really nice older horse.” At two last year, Space Flight won the 2022 California Breeders’ Freshman Stakes. With the Jens List, he became the 17th horse to win at least two stakes on the California Breeders’ Champions program.
Allred bred Space Flight in California out of
In Another World and has had the family for four generations. Allred purchased the Thoroughbred Window To Heaven, Space Flight’s fourth dam, for $80,000 in 1990. In Another World has produced five winners from eight starters, including stakes- placed Transcend.
EG High Desert Farms’ homebred Marcelo (Fast Prize Cartel-SS Calendar Girl) finished second under jockey Irving Lara for trainer Jesus Nunez. The gelding had won three of 11 previous starts.
Ruben Lozano piloted The Poseidon (Favorite Cartel-Ocean Memories) to third for owner Vences Racing and trainer Valentin Zamudio. The Poseidon broke his maiden at Los Alamitos last October.
Completing the field were Up The Interest (Seperate Interest-Kiddy Up Cowgirl), Chickititas Cartel (Favorite Cartel-Chickitita), Price Fixer (Favorite Cartel-Chickafirst), and Bravery (Fly Thru The Fire-Alpha Female).
244 SPEEDHORSE September 2023
Amber Mendez, Los Alamitos
Amber Mendez, Los Alamitos
Amber Mendez, Los Alamitos
Los Alamitos • $54,230
350 yards • :17.683 • SI 92
Apollitical Jess
Flying Cowboy 123
DOUBLE DOWN 123, ‘21-f.
Hot Cash 123
Fishers Dash
Double Down Darling
Pamper Me Special
Los Alamitos • $25,000
400 yards • :20.011 • SI 84
Walk Thru Fire
Fly Thru The Fire
SPACE FLIGHT, ‘20-g.
Babe On The Fly
Separatist
In Another World
Celestial Being TB
Los Alamitos • $25,000
350 yards • :17.835 • SI 87
Favorite Trick TB
Favorite Cartel
READY FOR IT, ‘21-g. Up For It
Shenoshercorona Kiddy Up
Fire For Toby