Page 139 - November 2020

Robert Boniface Invitational Championship-G1
CHOCOLATITO
by Tracy Gantz
Three years separate 4-year-old Chocolatito and 7-year-old Zoomin For Spuds, but almost nothing separated them at the finish
of the $125,000 Robert Boniface Invitational Championship-G1 at Los Alamitos on Oct. 11.
Rite Quick jumped out to the initial lead over Zoomin For Spuds, while Chocolatito broke in sixth. The 440 yards worked to Chocolatito’s advantage, as he raced into con- tention and edged Zoomin
For Spuds by the shortest
nose possible at the wire,
stopping the clock in :21.375.
“He finishes like that almost every time,” said Scott Willoughby, who trains Chocolatito for owner Dr. Ed Allred. “He was beat at 400 yards.”
That extra 40 yards
made the difference, said Willoughby, who added, “We needed every bit of it.”
PCQHRA Breeders’ Derby-G2
Oscar Andrade Jr. was riding Chocolatito for only the second time, having taken over for the injured Vinnie Bednar, who had ridden the gelding in every start except Chocolatito’s initial outing. Under Bednar, Chocolatito won the 2019 Dillingham Handicap, 2020 Kaweah Bar Handicap-G3, and 2020 Vessels Maturity-G1.
The Vessels Maturity earned Chocolatito a berth to the Dec. 12
Champion of Champions-G1. “I think he is just
right for the Champions of Champions,” said Willoughby.
Dr. Steve Burns bred Chocolatito and sold him to Allred for $50,000 at the 2017 Los Alamitos Equine Sale. Chocolatito is out of the Burns homebred Enjoy The Walk, winner of the 2012 California Breeders’ Matron Stakes. The
mare has produced eight winners from 11 start- ers, including stakes winner Eagles Soar.
Zoomin For Spuds (Zoomin For Bux-A Perfect Cocktail) finished second under jockey Jose Nicasio for trainer Monty Arrossa. The late Jim Walker bred Zoomin For Spuds, who now competes in the name of the Walker Family Trust.
Valentin Zamudio owns and trains third-place Eagle Coast (One Dashing Eagle-Coastal Candy). Ruben Lozano rode the 4-year-old gelding.
Transcend (Walk Thru Fire-In Another World) and Red Hawk Cartel (Favorite Cartel-Red Hawk Chick) finished fourth and fifth. Bail Czech (Corona Czech-Letty Bail Regis Out) and Rite Quick (Favorite Cartel- Iba Quick Chick) dead-heated for sixth. Jess Macho Corona (Corona Cartel-Jess Send Me) finished eighth and Jesstacartel (One Sweet Jess-Stolmeacartel) finished ninth.
from three starters. Jess A Little More is her first stakes winner.
Owner/breeder Dr. Ed Allred and trainer Scott Willoughby got second and third with Up For Speed (Favorite Cartel-Up For It), ridden by Oscar Andrade Jr.; and Just Be Real (Walk Thru Fire-Realistically), ridden by Jesus Ayala. Up For Speed ran second in the 2020 Governor’s Cup Derby-RG2. Just Be Real won the 2019 Autumn Handicap and ran third in the 2020 Governor’s Cup Derby.
Fire By Night (Walk Thru Fire-Chicks Tell) was fourth and Bono Is Good (Favorite Cartel-Sables Bono), Calida (FDD Dynasty- The Fire Fly), Javelina Cantina (Foose-Little Talks) and One Sweet Change (One Sweet Jess-Echo Boomer) completed the order of fin- ish. Both Runforyourlife and You Can Run were scratched.
RACING NEWS
Los Alamitos
$125,000 • 440 yards :21.375 • si 104
Favorite Trick TB
Favorite Cartel
Shenoshercorona
CHOCOLATITO, ‘16-g.
Walk Thru Fire
Enjoy The Walk
Enjoy The Moment
JESS A LITTLE MORE
by Tracy Gantz
Jess A Little More has posed a bit of a training challenge for Danny Montes.
But Montes has worked with the gelding and saddled him to win the $130,000 PCQHRA Breeders Derby-G2 at Los Alamitos on Oct. 2. “He’s a hard horse to deal with and figure out,” said Montes. “You can’t push him. You have to baby him. He needs light training.” Sometimes, Jess A Little More prefers walking to jogging when it comes to his train- ing regimen.
“If he doesn’t want to
jog, he’ll go half a mile just
walking,” said Montes.
Dealing with the geld-
ing’s quirks paid off in the
PCQHRA Derby. With
Ruben Lozano in the irons,
Jess A Little More broke sec-
ond and surged forward to
defeat even-money favorite
Up For Speed by a neck in
:19.779 for 400 yards, post-
ing a 93 speed index.
“My horse was moving around in the gate before the start,” said Lozano. “When they opened the gate, he was moving forward so he was able to take off.”
Montes trains Jess A Little More for
Silvia Aparicio. Fulton Quien Sabe Ranches LP bred the gelding in Texas and consigned him to the 2018 Heritage Place Yearling Sale. Jose De La Torre purchased him there for $17,500. Earlier this year, Jess A Little More
won the Adequan Grants Pass Derby Challenge.
Jess A Little More is out of Jess Jazzin, a homebred
for the late Joe Kirk Fulton, who also bred the second and third dams. Jess Jazzin is a half-sister to multiple stakes winner Scrutinizer. Jess A Little More’s second dam, A Watchful Eye, is a full sister to World Champion Special Leader. Jess Jazzin has pro- duced 100% money earners
Los Alamitos
$130,000 • 400 yards :19.779 • si 93
Favorite Trick TB
Favorite Cartel
Shenoshercorona
JESS A LITTLE MORE, ‘17-g.
Feature Mr Jess
Jess Jazzin
A Watchful Eye
SPEEDHORSE November 2020 137
Los Alamitos Los Alamitos