Page 151 - November 2020

Blane Schvaneveldt Handicap
ZOOM ON JESS
by Tracy Gantz
Monty Arrossa won his third $25,000 Blane Schvaneveldt Handicap at Los Alamitos with Zoom On Jess on Oct. 2. That ties him with Bret
Vickery. Arrossa earlier won the race with Zoomin For Spuds in 2016 and Love To Reason BR in 2018.
Zoom On Jess went off as the narrow second choice behind favored CM Boom Shakalaka in
the 400-yard Blane Schvaneveldt. With Armando Cervantes in the irons, Zoom On Jess broke on top and remained there, scoring by 1/2-length in :19.942.
“He’s become really consistent—it’s gotten to where he really likes winning races,” said Arrossa, who trains Zoom On Jess for owners/breeders Gary and Jeralyn Messenger. “He ran a great race; he had a great break tonight.”
Zoom On Jess had most recently won the Bitterroot Derby at Pocatello Downs in his native Idaho. Last year, at two, he won The Plan Handicap at Los Alamitos and the Idaho Cup Futurity at Sandy Downs.
The Messengers bred Zoom On Jess out of
their winning homebred mare Feature Miss Fame, a daughter of Messenger-bred multiple graded stakes winner Go For Fame. Feature Miss Fame has produced three winners in four starters.
Alejandro Luna piloted Favorite Rock (Favorite Cartel-Firerock) to second for owner Hugo Barron- Sierra and trainer Yanet Rodriguez. Favorite Rock earlier this year won the Rocky Mountain Derby and most recently ran second in the Mile High Derby.
Arrossa also trains third-place CM Boom Shakalaka (Carters Cartel-Mi Fames A Dandy). Jose Nicasio rode the 5-year-old gelding for owner Chris Sutton. CM Boom Shakalaka was coming off a vic- tory in the Emerald Downs Championship Challenge.
Completing the field were Staubauch (Texas Icon-Girls Rock), Game Stealer (Foose-Hot To Hit) and Freight Boss (Freighttrain B-RW Red Wave).
John Ward Handicap
STAUBAUCH
by Tracy Gantz
Cesar De Alba is no stranger to winning stakes at Los Alamitos, but in the past, it has always been as a jockey. He won his first Los Alamitos
stakes as a trainer when Staubauch captured the John Ward Handicap on Oct. 24.
Sent away as a 20-1 longshot, Staubauch broke on top for jockey Ruben Lozano. He battled for the lead throughout the 400 yards, just edging CM Boom Shakalaka for the win by a nose in :19.943, posting an 88 speed index.
De Alba trains Staubauch for owner Gabriel Carballo. As a jockey, De Alba won 87 stakes races at Los Alamitos and is 11th in all-time wins among riders at the track. As a trainer, he has also won with Thoroughbreds at Los Alamitos and Del Mar.
“I got this horse from Jere Brinkerhoff and Jesus Canales,” De Alba said. “They did great work on this horse.” Staubauch was making his second start for De Alba. Previously, he won the 2018 South Valley Futurity.
Ralph and Carolyn Fales bred Staubauch out of unraced Girls Rock. The mare has produced six starters, all winners, including stakes-placed Mygirlrox and Cruisen.
Jose Nicasio rode CM Boom Shakalaka (Carters Cartel-Mi Fames A Dandy) to second for owner Chris Sutton and trainer Monty Arrossa. CM Boom Shakalaka, a 5-year-old, has won five stakes during his career and finished second in last year’s John Ward.
Favorite Rock (Favorite Cartel-Firerock) fin- ished third for jockey Oscar Peinado, trainer Yanet Rodriguez, and owner Hugo Barron-Sierra. The 3 year old won this year’s Rocky Mountain Derby.
Completing the field were Zoom On Jess (Jess Zoomin-Feature Miss Fame), Freight Boss (Freighttrain B-RW Red Wave) and Captain Mazurk (Captain Courage-Napa Valley Girl).
Trick Or Treat Handicap
BALLAST POINT
by Tracy Gantz
With a large number of Thoroughbreds stabled at Los Alamitos year-round, its 870-yard mixed stakes often draw mostly Thoroughbreds instead of Quarter Horses. After the only other Quarter Horse was scratched out of the $15,000 Trick Or Treat Handicap on Oct. 31, Ballast Point defeated three Thoroughbreds as the lone Quarter Horse in the field.
It was a tough victory for the 3-5 favorite. After a bumpy start, Ballast Point went to the lead, but Justamitch stuck right with him. Those two battled throughout the distance, with Ballast Point keeping his nose in front at every subsequent call. Jockey Ramon Guce got Ballast Point to the wire a head in front. They stopped the clock in :45.123, posting a 94 speed index.
Paul Jones trains Ballast Point and owns him in partnership with Thompson Racing Inc. A 4-year- old gelding, Ballast Point won a division of the 2019 Snowbound Superstar Handicap. This year he finished second in the Harbor Beach Handicap.
Dr. Steve Burns bred Ballast Point out of Fall For It, who won the 2011 La Primera Del Ano Derby-G2, 2010 Autumn Handicap, and 2010 Chickasis Handicap. Fall For It has produced nine winners from 11 starters, including two-time stakes winner Canselman, a full brother to Ballast Point.
Francisco Orduna-Rojas rode Justamitch TB (Onebadshark-Justawitch) to second for owner Raul Mariscal and trainer Salvador Naranjo. A 10-year-old, Justamitch won the 2016 Truly A Pleasure Handicap and 2015 Catalina Handicap. Love Your Life TB (Ministers Wild Cat-It’s Your Life) finished third under jockey Edgar Payeras for owners Albert Gonzaz and Mojarro Racing LLC and trainer Lorenzo Ruiz. The 6-year-old gelding finished second in the 2020 Wheatland Handicap. Project Leader TB (Run Brother Ron-Line Leader) finished fourth. JB Gray Dawn and Sierra Melody TB were scratched.
RACING NEWS
Los Alamitos • $25,000
400 yards • :19.942 • si 88
Shazoom
Jess An Illusion
Feature Mr Jess
Jess Zoomin
ZOOM ON JESS, ‘17-g.
Feature Miss Fame
Go For Fame
Los Alamitos • $16,000
400 yards • :19.943 • si 88
Texas Icon STAUBAUCH, ‘16-g.
Girls Rock
Corona Cartel
Jennifer Kate
Rocky Jones
A Mere Formality
Los Alamitos • $15,000
870 yards • :45.123 • si 94
Favorite Trick TB
Favorite Cartel
BALLAST POINT, ‘16-g. Fall For It
Shenoshercorona Separatist
Shadows Fall
SPEEDHORSE November 2020 149
Los Alamitos
Los Alamitos
Los Alamitos