Page 194 - August_2023

RACING NEWS
Vessels Maturity-G1
EMPRESSUM
by Tracy Gantz
Empressum seems to thrive when returning from a break for the Vessels Maturity-G1 at Los Alamitos. In 2022, he came off of a five-
month rest to take the Vessels trial and final. This year, he had a four-month respite with the same result.
Named the 2022 World Champion, Empressum qualified the fastest for the Vessels Maturity for the second time. Bettors sent him away as the 2-5 favorite in the July 2 final.
He broke well for regular rider Rodrigo Vallejo, but
he still had to catch three others in the 400-yard event. Empressum officially won by a neck, but it was a long neck and there was no doubt which horse was the best.
Empressum beat his 2022 time of :19.329, getting the distance in :19.303. He joins Jazzing Hi, Avison, A Ransom, Be A Bono, and Far Niente
as the sixth horse to win two
Zia Derby-RG2
consecutive Vessels Maturities. A Ransom is the only horse with three straight wins.
“I still think that he’s just getting back,” said Heath Taylor, who trains Empressum for owners/breeders Jess Jones and Steve Holt.
“I just gave the one 220 work before the trials, and I thought he ran a good race but he wasn’t pressured. I thought he was a little soft and he’s gotten a little fitter.”
Empressum was winning his eighth stakes, which includes
the 2022 Champion of Champions-G1. He now has earned $1,717,567.
Jones and Holt bred Empressum in Oklahoma from winner Crazy Down Corona. The mare has produced five winners in eight starters, including Champion and 2022 All American Futurity-G1 winner Hes Judgeandjury and stakes-placed Cartel Envy and Lotas First.
Edward and Von Zae McNelis’ homebred Scoops Dynasty (FDD Dynasty-Bye Sweet Girl) finished second. Armando Cervantes rode the 4-year-old gelding for trainer Monty Arrossa. Scoops Dynasty has won four stakes, including the 2022 Los Alamitos Winter Derby-G1 and Golden State Derby-G2.
Taylor also trains third-place Shott Gun (Valiant Hero-Eye Popping), a Bobby Cox homebred ridden by Jose Nicasio. Shott Gun has won five stakes.
Completing the field were London Toby (Favorite Cartel-London Laura), Jettz (One Fabulous Eagle-First To Celebrate), Up And Atem (Favorite Cartel-Up For It), Jess Being A Friend (Jess Being Valiant-Six Zeroes), Fortunate Corona (Corona Cartel-Matabari), and Apollitical Famous V (Apollitical Jess-Me Chickie).
DOING SOMETHING GOOD
by Michael Cusortelli
Doing Something Good, a bay son of Big Daddy Cartel racing for J & SM Inc. of Fort Stockton, Texas, sprinted to a neck victory in the
400-yard Zia Derby-RG2 for New Mexico-bred 3-year-olds at Ruidoso Downs on July 22.
Ridden by Noe Garcia Jr. for trainer Fred Danley and racing on a sloppy and sealed track, Doing Something Good stopped the electronic timer in :19.706. The gelding earned his first stakes win and the $86,276 winner’s share of a stakes-record $205,420 purse.
Doing Something Good was the fourth-fastest qualifier from six Zia Derby trials contested on July 8. The gelding was bred by Mac and Janis Murray’s MJ Farms, and he was purchased for $110,000 at the 2021 Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale.
“We’re so happy for Mrs. May that she’s still winning horse races into her 90s,” said Danley of Sue May of J
& SM Inc. “This has been a very consistent racehorse, and he’s easy to train.”
Doing Something Good is out of Start Somethin Bad, a 9-year-old daughter of Pappasito who won the 2017 La Primera del
Ano Derby-G3 at Los Alamitos. The gelding is a 1/2-brother to Doin Something Right, a finalist in last year’s New Mexican Spring Futurity-RG2.
Doing Something Good’s third dam, Shirleys Signature, was an unplaced daughter of The Signature and the dam of
stakes winner Just Wanna Be Me and Devons Signature, the third place finisher in World Champion DM Shicago’s ’04 All American Futurity-G1.
The gelding traces back to his fourth dam, Shirley B Gayle,
a daughter of the Noholme II TB stallion Shirley’s Champion who won the 1983 Golden State Derby-G1 at Bay Meadows.
Doing Something Good has won four of 13 races and
has banked $355,416, and he was a finalist in last year’s All American-G1, Zia-RG1, and New Mexican Spring-RG2 futurities.
Pick Your Pour (Jesse James Jr-Tangled Vines) ran second for owners Orlando Granillo, Azucena Mendoza, and Rene Mendoza. Ricky Ramirez rode the sorrel gelding for trainer James Gonzales II. Jose Moreno’s White Knight (Eye Am King-Alice
K White) finished third, 1/2-length behind Doing Something Good. Rodrigo Vallejo rode the sorrel gelding for trainer James Gonzales II.
Jenavi (Big Daddy Cartel-C Twister Seis), Devons Cartel (Big Daddy Cartel-Devons Wish), Codex (Big Daddy Cartel-Astica), Dash Flash (First Moonflash-PT Feature Dash), Major Game (Gronkowski-A Major Chamisa), and Talbott (Big Daddy Cartel-Diamondia) completed the order of finish. Cruzin For Chickz was scratched.
192 SPEEDHORSE August 2023
Bailey Ivey, Ruidoso Downs Amber Mendez, Los Alamitos
Los Alamitos
$150,000 • 400 yards :19.303 • SI 103
Mr Jess Perry
Apollitical Jess
Apollitical Time
EMPRESSUM, ‘18-g.
First Down Dash
Crazy Down Corona
Crazy About Corona
Ruidoso Downs
$205,420 • 400 yards :19.706 • SI 92
Corona Cartel
Big Daddy Cartel
Miss Racy Eyes
DOING SOMETHING GOOD, ‘20-g. Pappasito
Start Somethin Bad
Letsgetitstarted