Page 177 - October 2023

JESS DREAM OF ME
by Tracy Gantz
Jess Dream Of Me cost $100,000 as a yearling, but she has been well worth the money. With her victory in the Aug. 19 Florentine Stakes at Los Alamitos, she brought her lifetime earnings to $217,937.
Breaking second under jockey Cruz Mendez in the 350-yard Florentine Stakes, Jess Dream Of Me came on strongly to win by a 1/2-length in :17.615 as the 9-10 favorite.
Jose Flores, who won five races on the card, trains Jess Dream Of Me for owner Raymond Merrill. Merrill and Greg Collum bought the filly at the 2020 Heritage Place Yearling Sale from
Lazy E Ranch as agent for breeder Speed LLC. Jess Dream Of Me qualified for the 2021 All American Futurity-G1, finishing sixth in the final, and she ran third in the 2022 Los Alamitos Oaks-G3.
Speed LLC bred Jess Dream Of Me in Utah out of Valiant Jess, winner of the 2011 Ruidoso Juvenile Challenge. Valiant Jess, a full sister to Champion Sass Me Blue and a 1/2-sister to Champion Jess Walking Thru, has produced five winners in seven starters including stakes-placed Jess Speed Cartel.
Lex Fabrizio’s homebred One Sweet Duck (One Sweet Jess-Duck Dash N Go) ran second. Armando Viramontes rode the 3-year-old filly for trainer Monty Arrossa. One Sweet Duck won this year’s La Pacifica Handicap.
All Prettied Up (Favorite Cartel-Pretty Jet High), ridden by Diego Herrera, owned by Ashley Garcia, and trained by Angela Aquino, finished third. The 6-year-old mare won the 2020 California Breeders’ Debutante.
Completing the field were She Goes Up (Seperate Interest-Up For It), Gotta Corona Jess (Apollitical Jess-Gotta Corona Pop), Icy Morning Breeze (Winners Version-Icy Storm TB), and Apollitical Premier (Apollitical Blood-JM Onfire).
CATTAIL COVE
by Kristen Moore
Raking in a second stakes win for the 2023 season, Cattail Cove took home the money in the $25,000 Stanton Handicap at Los Alamitos
on Sept. 3. Under jockey Victor Salazar, the gelding was never headed, eating up the track to win by 1 1/4 lengths. He completed the 350 yards in a time of :17.502 and earned himself a speed index of 97.
The gelding earned a winners share of $13,750 for owner Ralph Link Newcomb, increasing his bankroll to $662,932. Cattail Cove is trained
by Juan Aleman and won the Independence Day Handicap Stakes-G3 on July 1.
Cattail Cove was bred by Steve D. Burns DVM and is the leading money earner and one of two stakes winners out of the mare Katie Katella. Katie Katella has nearly two million dollars in progeny earnings and has produced 18 winners from 22 starters.
With a clean trip, Charlies Fast Man (Apollitical Blood-Alltherightcurves) and jockey Mark Jasso held game second throughout. The gelding is owned by Jose Aguilar Mendoza and trained by Heraclio Botello Jr. He won the Rillito Park Juvenile Challenge Stakes in July 2020 at Ruidoso Downs.
Cactus Jack (Kiddy Up-Bouquet) and jockey Oscar Peinado were in the mix and gave a good
try, crossing the wire third. The gelding is bred and owned by Edward C. Allred and trained by Scott Willoughby. He won the California Breeders’ Freshman Stakes in August 2021 at Los Alamitos.
The remaining order of finish was Fortunate Corona (Corona Cartel-Matabari), Jess Being A Friend (Jess Being Valiant-Six Zeros), Nevada Charles (Fly Thru The Fire-Nymph), Eye On The Sky (Favorite Cartel-Eagle On The Fly), All Ways (Fly Thru The Fire-Million Ways).
HEZ LONESOME
by Tracy Gantz
When a rare tropical storm hit Southern California, Los Alamitos and Del Mar canceled their Aug. 20 cards. The Takin On The Cash Handicap for 2-year-olds thus was moved from Aug. 20 to Aug. 27 at Los Alamitos, with Hez Lonesome emerging as the winner.
Jockey Armando Viramontes hustled Hez Lonesome out of the gate, and they immediately went to the front. Favorite Budder closed the gap, but Hez Lonesome scored by a neck in :17.851 for 350 yards.
Lindolfo Diaz trains Hez Lonesome for his father, owner J. Francisco Diaz. Hez Lonesome won his first two races, qualifying for the Robert Adair Kindergarten Futurity-G2, but finishing unplaced in that final. All four of Hez Lonesome’s races have been at Los Alamitos.
Reliance Ranches bred Hez Lonesome in Oklahoma from winner SC Coronada, who has one other starter and winner. The second dam is Champion Spit Curl Diva, who has also produced five stakes winners, including Champion Coronas First Diva.
Irving Lara rode Favorite Budder (Favorite Cartel-Budder Think Twice) to second for trainer Jose Flores and owner Ricardo Ramirez. Favorite Budder won two trials in four prior starts.
Haras Portofino’s homebred Teller Arizona MRL (Teller Cartel-Dashing Executive) finished third with jockey Oscar Peinado aboard for trainer Jaime Gomez. Teller Arizona MRL broke his maiden in his third start after a second and a third.
Completing the field were Flash Dash (Apollitical Jess-Love Samba), Trending Right (Kiddy Up-Hard Lining), Dynaste (FDD Dynasty- Terrific Energy), Jessa Dashin Hero (Mr Jess Perry- Belle Helene), So Can I (Seperate Interest-Girls Can Fly), Hubba Hubba (Foose-Sweet TR), and My Kind Of Lover (Apollitical Blood-All Kinds Of Kind).
RACING NEWS
SPEEDHORSE October 2023 175
Florentine Stakes
Stanton Handicap
Takin On The Cash Handicap
Amber Mendez, Los Alamitos
Amber Mendez, Los Alamitos
Amber Mendez, Los Alamitos
Los Alamitos • $25,000
350 yards • :17.502 • SI 97
Favorite Trick
Favorite Cartel
CATTAIL COVE, ‘17-g. Katie Katella
Shenoshercorona Separatist
Oh La Proud
Los Alamitos • $25,000
350 yards • :17.615 • SI 94
Mr Jess Perry
Apollitical Jess
JESS DREAM OF ME, ‘19-f. Valiant Jess
Apollitical Time Valiant Hero
Jess Sass Me
Los Alamitos • $20,000
350 yards • :17.851 • SI 87
First Down Dash
Hez Our Secret
HEZ LONESOME, ‘21-g. SC Coronada
Secret Separation Coronado Cartel Spit Curl Diva