Page 150 - Speedhorse December 2019

Los Alamitos Closing Weekend
Los Alamitos $2 Million Futurity-G1
CARTEL JESS ROCKIN
by Tracy Gantz
Owner Ronald Hartley and trainer John Cooper know how to team up on a good horse. They did it with Champion
Moonist, who earned a total of $878,468 over four seasons and likely would have added to that total had he not tragically died of colic in 2016.
Now Hartley and Cooper are collaborating on the filly Cartel Jess Rockin. In the Dec.
15 Los Alamitos $2 Million Futurity-G1, she earned $781,736, nearly as much as Moonist did in his lifetime.
The Los Alamitos $2 Million Futurity was not only significant for Hartley and Cooper,
it was also historic in that it was the last race call for longtime Los Alamitos announcer Ed Burgart. Burgart is retiring from that position, with Michael Wrona replacing him, but he will keep his hand in as the Los Alamitos morning linemaker. Burgart may also substitute when Wrona goes on vacation.
“I love him to death,” said Cooper. “I hope I get the tape of him calling this race. He’s a special guy to me.”
Cartel Jess Rockin was the fourth-fastest qualifier to the Los Alamitos $2 Million Futurity, behind favored Nomadic, Flokie, and Mr Ricks. Cartel Jess Rockin finished second to Flokie by a slim nose in the Nov. 24 tri- als. Cartel Jess Rockin went off at 20-1, the third-longest shot in the field.
“I like big numbers,” quipped Cooper. “It seems like that’s the only time I can win a race.”
Cartel Jess Rockin had shown Cooper some talent when winning her trial for the Robert Adair Kindergarten Futurity-G2.
“She got left and ran fourth (in the finals), so we just started over,” Cooper said.
For the Los Alamitos $2 Million Futurity, Cooper put jockey Juan Leon on the filly because he’s a good gate rider. “He gets them away all the time,” the trainer said. “He comes and works hard.”
Cartel Jess Rockin broke well in fourth from the four gate in the Futurity finals. She surged forward midway through the 400 yards and scored by 3/4-lengths in :19.628 for a 96 speed index.
“I had never been on this horse until the trials,” said
Leon. “The biggest thing I learned about her was that she didn’t like the riding crop. She responded better to just being encouraged to
Los Alamitos $1,861,275 • 400 yards :19.628 • si 96
Favorite Trick TB
Favorite Cartel
Shenoshercorona
CARTEL JESS ROCKIN, ’17-f.
Feature Mr Jess
Feature Jess Rockin
Meter Me Rockin
Cartel Jess Rockin and jockey Juan Leon win the $1,861,275 Los Alamitos $2 Million Futurity by 3/4-length.
Los Alamitos