Page 247 - September 2023

Calif. Brds.’ Debutante Stakes
FIRE WALL
by Tracy Gantz
Owner Oscar Parra won his first stakes at Los Alamitos when Fire Wall captured the July 30 California Breeders’ Debutante Stales.
Drawn on the rail and ridden by Ruben Lozano, Fire Wall was the longest shot in the field at 18-1. She broke quickly to take the lead, and though odds-on favorite Remember Her closed ground, Fire Wall held her off to score by a neck in :18.049 for 350 yards.
Valentin Zamudio trains Fire Wall for Parra, who bought the filly for $17,000 from Burns Ranch at the 2021 Los Alamitos Equine Sale. Though she placed in several races at Los Alamitos, Fire Wall didn’t break her maiden until March 4 of this year at Rillito Park.
Dr. Steve Burns bred Fire Wall in California out of winner Sex On Fire. The mare was a finalist in the 2011 Ed Burke Million Futurity-G1 and 2012 La Primera Del Ano Derby-G3. She has produced four winners from six starters, including Walking Alone, who was a finalist in last year’s California Breeders’ Matron Stakes-RG3. Fire Wall is her first stakes winner.
Dr. Ed Allred’s homebred Remember Her (Kiddy Up-Remembering Florence) finished second. Ridden by Jesus Ayala and trained by Scott Willoughby, Remember Her won the April 8 Dashing Folly Stakes and has placed in the Queen For Cash Handicap and the Holiday Handicap.
Howard Nichols’ homebred Heather Denise (Jess Being Valiant-Six Zeroes) ran third under jockey Armando Viramontes for trainer Elena Andrade. Heather Denise has won once, finished second twice, and finished third three times in 15 previous starts.
Corona Rose (Fast Prize Cartel-Remember To Dash) and Black Mesa (Favorite Cartel-Tahma Hawk) finished fourth and fifth to round out the field.
Calif. Breeders’ Sprint Stakes
UP THE LADDER
by Michael Compton
Ed Allred’s California-bred Up The Ladder registered his third lifetime stakes victory with a front-running score in the $25,000 California
Breeders’ Sprint Stakes at Los Alamitos on July 29. Ridden by Jonathan Roman, Up The Ladder
grabbed the lead early in the 350-yard fixture despite drifting in after the start. He received pressure early from race favorite and stablemate Nevada Charles but held well on the front end to defeat that rival by 1/2-length in the end. Up the Ladder covered the distance wire-to-wire in :17.597, earning a speed index of 94 for trainer Scott Willoughby.
Up The Ladder is now a winner in seven
of 21 lifetime starts and the $13,750 winner’s share of the purse increased his earnings total to $92,388. Up the Ladder’s previous stakes wins came in the 2021 Dream A Secret Handicap and that year’s Holiday Handicap Stakes, both at Los Alamitos. Prior to the California Breeders’ Sprint Stakes, Up The Ladder finished third in the Independence Day Handicap-G3 at Los Alamitos. Bred in California, Up The Ladder is produced from the A Regal Choice mare Oh La Princess.
Nevada Charles (Fly Thru The Fire- Nymph), ridden by Jesus Ayala, boasts the
same connections as the winner—Allred and Willoughby. A graded stakes-placed 4-year-old gelding, Nevada Charles is a four-time winner in 20 lifetime starts. New And Better (Fly Thru The Fire-Make Over), with jockey Cruz Mendez aboard, delivered a steady effort to finish third for trainer Jose Flores, who also owns the sorrel gelding in partnership with Javier Chavez.
Cactus Jack (Kiddy Up-Bouquet), Zackery Bono (Wanted Separatist), and Party Lines (Separate Interest-Hard Lining) completed the order of finish.
Q-Racing Video LA Distaff Chal.
FAMOUS SHINING STAR
by Tracy Gantz
Second in this race in 2022, Famous Shining Star proved victorious this time around in the $26,928 Q-Racing Video California Distaff
Challenge Stakes at Los Alamitos on Aug. 6.
Sent away as the 7-10 favorite in the four-horse field under jockey Cruz Mendez, Famous Shining
Star battled with Lil Longmire for the lead early. Famous Shining Star reached the wire a 1/2-length ahead, clocking 400 yards in :19.873.
Famous Shining Star has now won four consecutive races at Los Alamitos, including the Check Her Twice Stakes and Charger Bar Handicap-G1. She also won the 2022 Virginia Hyland Stakes and Sound Dash Handicap.
Jose Flores trains Famous Shining Star for owner Johnny Trotter, who bought the mare with Stan Sigman from breeder Julianna Hawn Holt for $250,000 at the 2019 Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale.
Holt bred Famous Shining Star in Texas from Thewayouwantmetoo, winner of the 2004 Rainbow Futurity-G1. Thewayouwantmetoo has produced eight winners from 12 starters, including A Revenant, who won the 2016 Rainbow Futurity and was voted that year’s Champion 2-Year-Old Colt, and stakes- placed Belle Helene, Luv Supreme, and The Hiway.
Jesus Ayala piloted Lil Longmire (A Revenant- Dee Zired) to second for owner Ben Peterson and trainer Heath Taylor. Lil Longmire won the 2022 Firecracker Derby-G3 at Delta Downs and 2021 Pocatello Downs Juvenile Challenge.
Toxic Relationship (Fly Thru The Fire-Shez Jess Toxic), owned by co-breeder Dean Frey, finished third, ridden by Armando Cervantes and trained by Monty Arrossa. The 4-year-old filly has won five of nine previous races.
Imm Born To Fly (Apollitical Spirit-Flash N The Boys) finished fourth. One Sweet Duck and Shez Our Jess were scratched.
RACING NEWS
SPEEDHORSE September 2023 245
Amber Mendez, Los Alamitos
Amber Mendez, Los Alamitos
Amber Mendez, Los Alamitos
Los Alamitos • $26,928
400 yards • :19.873 • SI 88
Mr Jess Perry
One Famous Eagle
One Famous Lady
FAMOUS SHINING STAR, ‘18-m.
Mr Eye Opener
Thewayouwantmetoo
Hope And Glory
Los Alamitos • $25,000
350 yards • :17.597 • SI 94
Kiddy Up UP THE LADDER, ‘19-g.
Corona Cartel
Miss Racy Vike
A Regal Choice
Oh La Princess
Oh La Proud
Los Alamitos • $25,000
350 yards • :18.049 • SI 81
Separatist
Seperate Interest
FIRE WALL, ‘20-f.
Sex On Fire
A Delightful Legacy Walk Thru Fire
Kimbo With Class