Page 169 - March_2022

Apollitical Pence broke beautifully on the lead for jockey Armando Cervantes in the Brad McKinzie final.
“The horse was standing perfect,” said Cervantes. “He’s always been a nice horse at the gate. I felt that if we took off that he would be tough.”
That is exactly what happened. Apollitical Pence flew to the front and dominated the field for the entirety to win wire-to-wire by 1/2-length, stopping the timer in :19.450. Flash Bak finished second.
“Flash Bak closes really hard,” said Cervantes. “Good thing we got out of the gates. We were way ahead. I was just trying to keep him focused to the wire and win. After the first 100 yards, we were gone.”
Arrossa trains Apollitical Pence for Matt and Bendi Dunn’s Dunn Ranch, which bred the 6-year-old gelding in Oklahoma in partnership with the late Mike Womack’s Cavender Farms.
“He’s a real sound horse,” Arrossa said. “His feet can be a little delicate, but his horseshoer, David Vargas, has worked with the horse and keeps his eyes on the horse. It’s thin soles. David has been instrumental in keeping the horse going at the highest level.
“You take a chance after winning the Champions of Champions to bounce right back. The horse came out of the Champion of Champions so good that we thought we might as well take a chance (in the McKinzie).”
With the Brad McKinzie purse of $64,134 to the winner, Apollitical Pence increased his lifetime earnings to $1,516,985. In 31 starts, he has won 14, with five seconds and six thirds. Apollitical Pence also won the Mighty Deck Three Stakes-RG2 twice, as well as the 2019 Heritage Place Derby-G3.
Womack died just after Apollitical Pence qualified for the Heritage Place Derby. The gelding received his name because Womack
once had his photo taken with former Vice President Mike Pence.
The Dunns purchased unraced Send City, the dam of Apollitical Pence, as a broodmare pros- pect, and Womack had a breeding to Apollitical Jess, resulting in Apollitical Pence. Send City, who has produced two winners from three start- ers, is a 1/2-sister to Grade 1 winner Send Me A Candy Tree and to Jess Send Candy, the dam of Champion Jess Good Candy. Apollitical Pence’s second dam is 1996 Remington Futurity-G1 win- ner Send Me The Candy.
Oscar Peinado rode Flash Bak (Moonin The Eagle-Checknbac) to second for trainer Jaime Gomez and owner Valeriano Racing Stables LLC. A 4-year-old gelding, Flash Back won the 2021 Los Alamitos Winter Derby-G1 and Los Alamitos Super Derby-G1. He also ran second in the 2020 Los Alamitos $2 Million
Futurity-G1 and finished third in the 2021 All American Invitational Stakes.
Dr. Ed Allred’s homebred Circle City (Favorite Cartel-Moonlight Corona) finished third for jockey Jesus Ayala and trainer Scott Willoughby. The 5-year-old gelding won the 2021 Vessels Maturity-G1, 2021 Spencer L. Childers California Breeders Championship Handicap-RG1, and 2020 Golden State Derby-G1. He finished second in the 2019 Golden State Million Futurity-G1 and third in the 2021 Kaweah Bar Handicap-G3.
Followed by Cattail Cove (Favorite Cartel- Katie Katella), You Can Run (Favorite Cartel-You Can Fly), Stolen Lives (Seperate Interest-
Enjoy The Walk), Mister Tornado (Sports Cartel-Spanish Sola Mark), Gotta Corona Jess (Apollitical Jess-Gotta Corona Pop), La Estrella Corona (Corona Czech-Shadow Lake TB) & Just A Dasha Hero (Valiant Hero-Dasha Freda).
RACING NEWS
Mark McKinzie (Brother of the late Brad McKinzie) presents the trophy to jockey Armando Cervantes and trainer Monty Arrossa.
Trainer Monty Arrossa celebrates the victory with Apollitical Pence.
SPEEDHORSE March 2022 167
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