Page 56 - 2 March 2012

Los Alamitos Winter Derby-G1
Kobe
by Tracy Gantz
To most people in Southern California, Kobe and Deniro might sound like the Los Angeles Lakers leading scorer and the famous Academy Award-winning actor. In the Feb. 18 Los Alamitos Winter Derby-G1, however, it meant a battle for the wire between two talented 3-year-olds.
After Deniro qualified for the Winter Derby with the fastest time in the Jan. 28 trials, he attracted the most attention from bettors, going off as the even-money favorite in the final. But Kobe, who in fact was named after Lakers star Kobe Bryant, had plenty of fight left in him.
When the gate opened for the 400-yard Derby, Deniro veered in from the outside post, bumping Kobe into One Ramblin Lady.
“I thought the race was over at that point,” said Paul Jones, who trains Kobe for owners Mark and Mary Parsons. “He was in tight quarters at the end of the race as well, and it was amazing that he could overcome that kind of bumping at 400 yards.”
Nearly the entire field raced to the wire together. As Deniro and One Ramblin Lady again tightened up the space on Kobe, he and jockey Cody Jensen refused to give up.
“He battled through it, just like Kobe Bryant,” said Mary Parsons.
In the final stride, Kobe thrust his nose ahead of Deniro, stopping the timer in :19.969.
“When we watched the replay, we could see that his feet actually went out from under him,” said Mary Parsons. “Then later in the race, there was almost no room for him to get through.”
Kobe’s victory was very special to his entire team. The Parsons were winning their very first Grade 1 stakes, and with a horse they bred. After Kobe’s regular rider, Ramon Sanchez, elected to ride
another Jones trainee, BF
Farm Girl, in the Derby,
Jensen climbed aboard the
colt for the first time, only
fitting since he rode Kobe’s
mother, Rubiate.
“She had that type of heart,” said Jensen. “That’s how she used to fight.”
Jones is Quarter Horse racing’s all-time leading trainer, with numerous Grade 1 victories to his credit, but he also found the win special.
“To get an owner their first Grade 1, those are the moments that make this job fun,” Jones said. “It was such a thrill for them.”
The Parsons owned racehorses in the 1980s, but left the sport while raising their three children. About 10 years ago, they decided to become involved again and chose Jones as their trainer.
Mark bought Rubiate out of the 2003 Blane Schvaneveldt Dispersal for $15,000 after she had won two races and finished second twice in six starts. She went on to place in the 2004 La Pacifica Handicap and
2005 California Breeders’ Matron Stakes-RG3 while racing for Mark and the couple’s son, Mark Jr.
California-bred Kobe is the second starter and win- ner for Rubiate. The Parsons subsequently sold Rubiate in foal to Separatist at the 2009 Los Alamitos Equine Sale for $13,500, and that 2010 foal, a filly named Merari, brought $18,000 at the 2011 Los Alamitos yearling sale.
After finishing third in his racing debut, Kobe broke
his maiden when he qualified for last year’s Kindergarten Futurity-G1 at Los Alamitos. The colt came out of the trial with a sore tibia,
Los Alamitos $200,000 • 400 yards :19.969 • si 80
Dash For Cash
Mr Eye Opener
Bedawee
KOBE, ‘09-c.
Red-TB
Rubiate
First Down Macarena
Kobe’s connections: Trainer Paul Jones with wife Marin and daughters Ali and Mia, Mark and Mary Parsons with granddaughter Ryane, 3, Amy and Cody Jensen, and Mark Parsons, Jr., Chris and Jennifer Sarvis (the Parsons’ daughter) and Mark Parsons III.
54 SPEEDHORSE, March 2, 2012
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