Page 176 - October 2023

RACING NEWS
TOXICRELATIONSHIP SCOOPSDYNASTY
ALWAYS A CHANCE
by Tracy Gantz
After finishing second against older horses in the July 29 Spencer L. Childers California Breeders’ Championship Handicap-G1, 3-year-old Always A Chance returned to his age group for the Aug. 26
Sgt Pepper Feature Handicap at Los Alamitos. That resulted in the gelding’s first stakes victory.
Under jockey Armando Cervantes, Always A Chance bounced out of the gate on top in the 350- yard Sgt Pepper Feature. With a final burst of speed, he won by a 1/2-length in :17.449.
Monty Arrossa trains wire-to-wire winner Always A Chance for Andres Flores’ Junior’s Quarter Horses. Always A Chance broke his maiden at Ruidoso Downs in 2022 and won an allowance race at Los Alamitos earlier this year.
Dr. Ed Allred bred Always A Chance in California from his homebred Elans Last. A daughter of 1987 All American Futurity-G1 winner Elans Special, Elans Last has produced 15 winners in 17 starters, including four other stakes winners. One
of those, Nymph, is the dam of 2023 Rainbow Derby-G1 winner Sicario V.
EG High Desert Farms’ homebred Marcelo (Fast Prize Cartel—SS Calendar Girl) finished second. Irving Lara rode the gelding for trainer Jesus Nunez. Marcelo ran second in the 2023 Jens L. List Jr. Memorial California Breeders’ Stakes. Victor Salazar piloted Ima Sixy Man (Corona Cartel-Jess So Sixy) to third for trainer Juan Aleman and owner Boardshorts Stables. Ima Sixy Man ran second two previous stakes.
Completing the field were Counter Attack (Fly Thru The Fire-Attack The Cartel), Up The Interest (Seperate Interest-Kiddy Up Cowgirl), Five Bar Knockout (Five Bar Cartel-Whatta Knockout), Space Flight (Fly Thru The Fire-In Another World), Price Fixer (Favorite Cartel-Chickafirst), Interesting Eagle (Seperate Interest-Eagle On The Fly), and Proximity (Moonin The Eagle-Conspicuous Dynasty).
by Tracy Gantz
Toxic Relationship actually has very good relations—the best, in fact, because she is a 1/2-sister to World Champion Danjer. She increased her value even more when she won the Sept. 16 Mildred N. Vessels Memorial Handicap-G1 at Los Alamitos.
Breaking from post 7 under jockey James Flores, Toxic Relationship fortunately avoided some crowding to her inside. She bumped briefly at the start, but straightened out and flew to the wire, winning by a close head in :19.850 for 400 yards.
Toxic Relationship won her first four races at two and three, but this is her first stakes victory. Monty Arrossa now trains the 4-year-old filly for owner Dean Frey, who bred her in California in partnership with Dr. Steve Burns.
Stakes winner Shez Jess Toxic, bred
and raced by Frey and the dam of Toxic Relationship, has produced four winners in seven starters. Her best foal is Danjer, who won 17 stakes and earned $2,499,432.
Lil Longmire (A Revenant-Dee Zired)
finished second, but was disqualified to ninth
for interference. That elevated third-place Jess Dream Of Me (Apollitical Jess-Valiant Jess),
ridden by Ruben Lozano, to second and fourth- place Famous Shining Star (One Famous Eagle- Thewayouwantmetoo), ridden by Cruz Mendez, to third. Jose Flores trains Jess Dream of Me, winner of this year’s Florentine Stakes, for owner Raymond Merrill and multiple stakes winner Famous Shining Star for owner Johnny Trotter.
Completing the field were Cir Lady Moon (Moonin The Eagle-Cir Mark Of A Queen), She Goes Up (Seperate Interest-Up For It), A Dream
To Fill (Apollitical Jess-Answer The Dream), Letty Cartel (Fast Prize Cartel-Letty Bail Regis Out), and Sweet Tess (Apollitical Jess-Separate Thoughts).
by Tracy Gantz
Scoops Dynasty not only defeated World Champion Empressum in the Aug. 27 Go Man Go Handicap-G1 at Los Alamitos, he earned a presumptive
berth to the Dec. 9 Champion of Champions-G1. With Empressum already having earned a presumptive berth, that sets up a terrific showdown.
It was the fifth time Scoops Dynasty had met Empressum, with Empressum having outfinished Scoops Dynasty in their four previous encounters. But this time Scoops Dynasty turned the tables. The two battled together throughout the 400 yards of the Go Man Go Handicap, with Scoops Dynasty and jockey Armando Cervantes defeating Empressum by 1/2-length in :19.358 for a 102 speed index.
Monty Arrossa trains Scoops Dynasty for
owners Edward and Von Zae McNelis, who bred the 4-year-old gelding in Idaho. This was the fifth stakes victory for Scoops Dynasty, his wins including the 2022 Los Alamitos Winter Derby-G1.
The McNelises bred Scoops Dynasty in Idaho out of Bye Sweet Girl, a Los Alamitos Equine Sale purchase. The mare has produced four winners from seven starters, including Mommas Dynasty, winner of the 2018 The Plan Handicap.
Second-place Empressum (Apollitical Jess- Crazy Down Corona) races for owner/breeders
Jeff Jones and Steve Holt. Rodrigo Vallejo piloted him for trainer Heath Taylor. The reigning
World Champion, Empressum has won multiple Championships the past two seasons and last year’s Champion of Champions.
Dr. Ed Allred’s homebred London Toby (Favorite Cartel-London Laura) got up for third under jockey Jonathan Roman. Scott Willoughby trains the 5-year- old gelding, who won two earlier graded stakes.
Shott Gun (Valiant Hero-Eye Popping) and Slews Fortune (Seperate Interest-Jess Mairi) finished fourth and fifth. Eye On The Sky was scratched.
174 SPEEDHORSE October 2023
Mildred Vessels Memorial H.-G1
Go Man Go Handicap-G1
Sgt Pepper Feature Handicap
Amber Mendez, Los Alamitos
William Zuazo, Los Alamitos
Amber Mendez, Los Alamitos
Los Alamitos • $125,000
400 yards • :19.850 • SI 88
Walk Thru Fire
Fly Thru The Fire
Babe On The Fly
TOXIC RELATIONSHIP, ‘19-f.
Take Off Jess
Shez Jess Toxic
Dashing Fly Lady
Los Alamitos • $40,000
350 yards • :17.449 • SI 98
Favorite Trick TB
Favorite Cartel
ALWAYS A CHANCE, ‘20-g. Elans Last
Shenoshercorona Separatist
Elans Special
Los Alamitos • $100,000
400 yards • :19.358 • SI 102
FDD Dynasty SCOOPS DYNASTY, ‘19-g. Bye Sweet Girl
First Down Dash
Dinastia Toll BRZ
Dashin Bye
Beat Your Pants Off