Page 169 - January 2021

but came back to win his trial and final to the $1,025,782 Lee Berwick Futurity-RG1.
After the Lee Berwick Futurity-RG1
win, Alcala took over the training of San Lorenzo, who came into the LQHBA Million Futurity-RG1 off a third to TDZ Rolex Rattler and Fast Dashin Diamond in a blanket finish that resulted in the three fastest times on the first of two nights of trials.
“He’s very smart, a very intelligent horse, and he has a big heart, a lot of heart,” Alcala later stated. “The track was terrible, really sloppy, so it took double effort. The colt was very tired at the end, but the next day, everything was fine.”
Alcala was feeling fine, too. He’s put in 24 years of racing in the United States and Mexico, and two years ago took out his own license and opened his own training stable near Houston, Texas.
“The Marquez family have bred some good horses and they always have real nice horses,” Alcala said. “When they gave me the chance to train San Lorenzo, I thought, ‘Wow! This is a good horse, they’re trusting me with him, I’d better do a good job.’ So, there was some pres- sure there – I put that pressure on myself, so maybe this will help take some of that off!”
San Lorenzo is one of five stakes winners out of In The Open, who first made her name as the dam of Champion Open Me A Corona ($929,150). In The Open is the dam of 10 winners and the earners of more than $2.7 mil- lion from 14 starters, including San Lorenzo’s stakes-winning full siblings San Lorenzo Corona ($254,889) and Cant Catchacorona
($123,731). In The Open also produced the stakes-winning gelding Zedeco ($82,115).
San Lorenzo is one of six stakes winners and the earners of more than $2.8 million bred by Jim and Natalie Montgomery of Pineville, Louisiana. The breeders bought the colt back at the 2019 LQHBA Yearling Sale.
“We really wanted him at the sale,” Marquez stated. “But Jim and Natalie chose to repurchase him, so we bought him as a private purchase. This is the fifth stakes-winning foal from In The Open and the last Louisiana- bred from her, so we’re glad to put him in the record books.”
Especially in this particular record.
“To win this race is the pinnacle of Louisiana racing,” Marquez said.
Owner Rogelio Marquez Jr. with his father Rogelio Marquez Sr. and trainer Hector Alcala. photo by Richard Chamberlain
Fast Dashin Diamond (Heza Fast Dash- Diamonds R Forever B) was second under Everardo Rodriguez for owner Mo Racing and trainer Kenneth Roberts Sr. Fast Dashin Diamond was also third in the LQHBA Sale Futurity-RG1.
Trained by Jose Sanchez III, A Double Corona (Open Me A Corona-Corona Dashin Bye) came in third under Eddie Sanchez for owners Tommy Hays and Bobby Barnett. A Double Corona won the LQHBA Sale Futurity-RG1 in October.
TDZ Rolex Rattler (Freighttrain B-Rolex Time), JRS Shiney Tee (Tee Cos-Arrangel To Shine), El Camino CL (Heza Fast Dash-Eying Miss Perry), Tee Zo (Tee Cos-Sayin The Blues), Black Blood (Apollitical Blood-Black Rosalita) and Lafitte (Sir Runaway Dash-Me And Me Only) completed the order of finish.
RACING NEWS
San Lorenzo’s winning connections include owner Rogelio Marquez, Jr., trainer Hector Alcala and jockey David Alvarez.
SPEEDHORSE January 2021 167
Coady Photography