Page 48 - 27 April 2012

El Primero Del Ano Derby-G2
nEw LOOK
by Tracy Gantz
If Mimi Wells’ broodmare Chicks Tell hadn’t had trouble carrying a foal to term, the owner might never have purchased New Look
and won the April 7 El Primero Del Ano Derby-G2 at Los Alamitos.
“I had tried to get Chicks Tell to carry a baby, but she lost it at 7 months,” said Wells, who now breeds the mare via embryo transfer. “I wasn’t going to have any Walk Thru Fires that year. So I went to the sale to get a Walk Thru Fire because I absolutely love that sire.”
New Look not only is by Walk Thru Fire, he is also out of a Separatist mare. Wells
has bred to both stallions. Wells’ champion homebred Chicks First Policy, winner of the 2000 California Sires Cup Derby, ran second to Separatist several times.
Wells bought New Look for $28,000 out
of the 2010 Los Alamitos Equine Sale and put him into training with Dan Francisco along with her homebreds. New Look qualified the fastest for the El Primero, and Wells also quali- fied her homebred Willie Dasher.
In his trial, New Look defeated Kobe, and he did it again in the final, both times ridden by Rodrigo Aceves. When the gate opened in the final, New Look bounced out of post two and immediately matched strides with the rail horse, Sompin About First, despite Red Dirt Bono brushing him slightly to his outside.
After he pulled away from Sompin About First, New Look had to hold off Kobe, who
closed from the middle of the track. New Look, slightly favored over Kobe at 13-10, fended him off to win by a half-length in :19.816. Willie Dasher finished third.
“I wasn’t even watching Willie because I wanted to see whether New Look was going
to get out of the gate this time,” said Wells. “My daughter-in-law is the one who told me, ‘I think Willie got third.’ I had
to watch the replay to see his
race. This was super excit-
ing—I was so thrilled. It’s the
biggest derby I’ve ever won.”
New Look started his racing career slowly, not breaking his maiden until last December in his seventh start.
“He’s been a pleasant surprise,” said Wells. “As a 2-year-old, he didn’t look like he’d be much until Dan took the blinkers off.”
New Look ran a good
second his first time without blinkers and finished fifth in the Aug. 26 John Deere Los Alamitos Juvenile Challenge.
“Then it was my big idea to turn him out for a while,” said Wells. “After we turned him out, he grew. He’s still not big, but he’s filled out. He broke his maiden in December.”
Wells suggested trying New Look in the Feb. 26 Los Alamitos Maiden Stakes, but he
hopped at the start and finished seventh. “That was really disappointing,” said Wells.
“I knew in the El Primero we’d have to run against Kobe, and I was just hoping not to see a repeat of the Maiden Stakes.”
Wells didn’t have to worry. New Look’s victory in the El Primero gave him his first stakes win and raised his earnings to $99,995.
Francisco said that handling New Look the right way
in the gate makes the difference.
“We figured out that if you can get him comfortable in the gate that he will pay attention,” said the trainer.
Francisco and Wells said that New Look will get a short rest before being pointed for the Governor’s Cup Derby-RG2 in July at Los Alamitos.
“Because he’s by Walk Thru Fire, I did go ahead and put him in a
bunch of races,” said Wells. “I looked at the calendar and realized I’ll have to drop him out of something.”
Dr. Ed Allred bred New Look in California from his homebred placed mare Make Over, and the gelding is the mare’s first foal. Make Over comes from a family full of black type, being out of All American Futurity-G1
winner and millionaire Elans Special.
In addition to producing Grade 3 stakes winner Gotothemountain, three stakes-
placed runners, and the dam of champion Catchmeinyourdreams, Elans Special also pro- duced World Champion Paint Really Special.
Paul Jones trains Mark and Mary Parsons’ Kobe (Mr Eye Opener-Rubiate, by Red-TB), and Cody Jensen rode him to second place. Earlier this year, Kobe won the Los Alamitos Winter Derby-G1 and Holiday Handicap.
Francisco also trains third-placed Willie Dasher (Separatist-Im Willie Kool) for Wells. Cesar DeAlba was aboard the gelding, who was second in last year’s Wild West Futurity.
Completing the field were Red Dirt Bono (Bono Jazz-Red Dirt Girl), Sompin About First (First Down Dash-Sompinlikaglass), One Famous Ferragamo (First Down Dash- One Famous Lady), Our Man David (Walk Thru Fire-Secret Goer), and Jess Dapper (Feature Mr Jess-PJ Flying Phoebe). BD Cruiser was scratched.
Los Alamitos $180,320 • 400 yards :19.816 • si 84
First Down Dash
Walk Thru Fire
Sweet Beduino
NEW LOOK, ’09-g.
Separatist
Make Over
Elans Special
New Look parleyed a clean break into a half-length win in the $180,320 El Primero Del Ano Derby-G2.
46 SPEEDHORSE, April 27, 2012
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