Page 174 - Speedhorse December 2019

AQRA Turf Paradise Open F.
MY FAVORITE CANDY
by John Moorehouse
My Favorite Candy’s connections enjoyed the sweet rewards of a second straight stakes victory after the gelding triumphed in the $40,945
AQRA Turf Paradise Open Futurity on Dec. 15. ABA Quarter Horses LLC owns My Favorite Candy, who has logged both of his career wins in
stakes company. The gelding broke his maiden on Nov. 3, taking first in the AQRA President’s Fall Futurity at this same Arizona track.
My Favorite Candy finished second in his Nov. 24 trial for this event, but his :19.741 time stood sec- ond on the qualifying ladder. The gelding was slightly slower this time—running the 400 yards in :19.829 for a 90 speed index—but still the fastest in the field for the finals. Jockey Rodolfo Arvizu brought My Favorite Candy out of the 2 gate in front, and he had the lead for each call of the race, hitting the finish line first by a neck. The post-time favorite at 6-5 odds, My Favorite Candy scored a $20,473 prize for this effort, boosting his lifetime earnings to $40,312.
Antonio Soto trains My Favorite Candy, who was bred in California by Guadalupe Bujanda out of Send The Candy Wagon. This marked the ninth career out for My Favorite Candy, who has stuck close to home in the Western U.S. so far, racing in his home state and Arizona.
WR Jokers Wild reached the finish line second but was disqualified for interference. That elevated Zoomn On Bye (Mezoomn-Eyesa Chickin It Out)
to runner-up honors for owner Thomas Pick, trainer Allen Goodsell and jockey Jake Samuels. Favorite Flight (Favorite Cartel-Seperate Flight) was third under Luis Valenzuela for owner/trainer Jesus Torres- Casas. Followed by Looke At Me (FDD Dynasty-Jess One Looke), WR Jokers Wild (Fantastic Corona Jr-JA Desert Flight) and This Chicks Rules (Chicks Regard-Rime And Rule). Captain PYC and I Roll Like That both scratched.
Las Damas Handicap-G3
TOUGH TO FIGURE
by Tracy Gantz
Tough To Figure doesn’t live up to her name because she isn’t tough for bettors to figure out. The 5-year-old mare will give a good account of herself every time she faces the starter. Her most recent outing resulted in a victory in the $50,000 Las Damas Handicap-G3 at Los Alamitos on Nov. 23.
With regular rider Vinnie Bednar aboard, Tough To Figure broke third and forged to the lead in the 400-yard Las Damas. With the others bunched up behind her, she won by 1/2-length in :19.906, posting an 89 speed index. The $27,500 winner’s share of the purse boosted her total lifetime earnings to $183,821.
Scott Willoughby trains Tough To Figure for owner/breeder Dr. Ed Allred. The sorrel mare earlier won the 2019 Ivan Ashment Handicap and the 2018 Stablewood Farm Stakes. She has placed in six other stakes events.
Allred bred Tough To Figure out of his homebred Big Jan, who produced nine winners in 17 starters, including stakes-placed Yacht Clubber. Her third dam, Seperate Ways, was a Broodmare of the Year and the dam of Champion and top sire Separatist.
Cruz Mendez piloted On Our Way (One Sweet Jess-Attack The Cartel) to second for owner Larry Overly trainer Jose Flores. On Our Way won the 2018 Four Forty Blast Handicap.
EG High Desert Farms’ homebred Matilda Czech (Fast Prize Cartel-Short Czech) finished in third under jockey Jonathan Roman for trainer Santos Perez. Matilda Czech won the 2018 Girl Secrets Handicap.
Completing the field were Elicity (Apollitical Jess-Flame N Flash), Conquering Marie (Coronado Cartel-Illegal Fireworks), Love To Reason BR (Good Reason SA-Strength In Numbers), Thermonuclear Energy (Walk Thru Fire-Terrific Energy) and Singles Cruise (Favorite Cartel-Going Single). Fenian Faith and Lethal Lil were scratched.
First Down Dash Handicap
JEST FAMOUS
by Tracy Gantz
The team of Jest Famous, trainer Christopher O’Dell and jockey Cody Jensen, kept their record perfect at Los Alamitos. They went two-for-two in the $35,000 First Down Dash Handicap on Dec. 7, in addition to their earlier victory in the Nov. 9 Town Policy Stakes.
Sent away as the 4-5 favorite in the 400-yard First Down Dash, Jest Famous broke on top for Jensen and never looked back. On a track labeled “good” due to some light rain, Jest Famous scored by 3/4-length in :19.581, posting a 97 speed index. The $19,250 winner’s share of the purse boosted his total earnings to $389,513.
MRB Racing LLC owns Jest Famous, who
has performed well in other locales and for other trainers. In 2018 he won the Southwest Juvenile Championship-G1 and finished third in the Ruidoso Futurity-G1.
Jon and Donna McPherson bred Jest Famous
in Louisiana. The McPhersons raced the gelding’s dam, Famous Corona Lady, to earnings of $184,408. She has produced two winners in three starters. The third, Jessapolitical Guy, finished third in the 2019 Turf Paradise Juvenile Challenge.
Jess Macho Corona (Corona Cartel-Jess Send Me) finished second under jockey Ramon Sanchez for owners Gary Nutt and Turner Farms and trainer Paul Jones. The gelding finished second in the 2018 All American Derby-G1 and placed in two other Grade 1 races.
O’Dell also trains third-place Corona Jumpim MRL (Corona For Me-Ipanema Gold), the South American Champion of 2018. Eduardo Nicasio rode Corona Jumpim MRL for owner Haras Portofino.
Completing the field were Bos Time Machine (Bodacious Dash-One Prompt Chick), Twisted Sifter (FDD Dynasty-Bye Bye Baby Goodbye), Jess My Kiss (One Sweet Jess-Dreaming Of Kisses) and Mr Secret Glory (Hez Our Secret-Eye Of Glory).
Los Alamitos • $50,000 400 yards • :19.906 • si 89
First Down Dash
Sweet Beduino Raise A Secret Making Waves
Walk Thru Fire
TOUGH TO FIGURE, ‘14-m. Big Jan
Los Alamitos • $35,000 400 yards • :19.581 • si 97
Streakin La Jolla
Scoopie Fein
Corona Cartel
Mr Jess Perry
JEST FAMOUS, ‘16-g.
Famous Corona Lady
One Famous Lady
Turf Paradise • $40,945 400 yards • :19.829 • si 90
Favorite Trick TB Shenoshercorona
PYC Paint Your Wagon
Favorite Cartel MY FAVORITE CANDY, ‘17-g.
Send The Candy Wagon
Send Me The Candy
170 SPEEDHORSE, December 2019
RACING NEWS
Coady Photography
Los Alamitos
Los Alamitos