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RACING NEWS
Robert Boniface LA Champ.-G1
APOLLITICAL PENCE
Aby Tracy Gantz
pollitical Pence scored his sixth consecutive
stakes victory in a row in the $125,000 Robert L. Boniface Invitational Championship Stakes at Los Alamitos on Oct. 8.
Empressum went off as the 2-5 Boniface favorite, with Apollitical Pence the second choice at 2-1. Age and experience proved best, as 6-year-old Apollitical Pence got the jump on 4-year-old Empressum, both literally and figuratively. Apollitical Pence leapt out of the gate from the 7-post, immediately grabbing the advantage under jockey Armando Cervantes. Empressum couldn’t catch Apollitical Pence, who scored by 3/4-lengths in :21.225, posting a 108 speed index.
Matt and Bendi Dunn’s Dunn Ranch owns Apollitical Pence and Monty Arrossa trains the gelding. The entire team is pointing toward a possible third Champion of Champions victory, as he won the previous two years. Apollitical Pence has won nine stakes.
The Dunns bred Apollitical Pence in Oklahoma from unraced Send City in partnership with the late Mike Womack’s Womack Cavender Farms.
Empressum (Apollitical Jess-Crazy Down Corona) finished 2 3/4-lengths ahead of third- place Flash Bak, under jockey Rodrigo Vallejo for trainer Heath Taylor Bred and owned by Jeff Jones and Steve Holt, Empressum has won six stakes and was named Champion 3-Year-Old and Champion 3-Year-Old Gelding of 2021.
Oscar Peinado piloted Flash Bak (Moonin The Eagle-Checknbac) to third for owner Valeriano Racing Stables and trainer Jaime Gomez.. Flash Bak won the 2021 Los Alamitos Winter Derby-G1 and Los Alamitos Super Derby-G1.
Completing the field were Powerful Favorite (Favorite Cartel-Remember Me Rose), Other World (Foose-Celestrial Being-TB), Circle City (Favorite Cartel-Moonlight Corona), and Mister Tornado (Sports Cartel-Spanish Sola Mark).
PCQHRA Breeders’ Derby-G2
SWEET DASHA FIRE
Sby Tracy Gantz
weet Dasha Fire captured her first stakes win, a
graded one at that, in the PCQHRA Breeders’ Derby-G2 at Los Alamitos on Oct. 1.
The only one in the field of eight to race without blinkers, Sweet Dasha Fire came out of the gate
well in the Derby for jockey Cruz Mendez. She vied with several others for the lead and then spurted forward toward the end of the 400 yards to score by a 1/2-length in :19.831, posting a speed index of 90. The $53,340 winner’s share of the purse boosted her earnings to $160,065.
After Sweet Dasha Fire finished third in the
La Pacifica Handicap on May 7 for her breeders S-Quarter K LLC, Valeriano Racing Stables LLC purchased her privately while keeping her in training with Jose Flores. The filly turned out to be a great buy, as she ran a good fourth in the Governor’s Cup Derby-G2 on July 31 for her new owners.
S-Quarter K LLC bred Sweet Dasha Fire in Washington from the graded stakes winning mare Dasha Freda. She has produced 10 winners from 12 starters, five of them stakes winners and one stakes- placed. The best has been 2015 World Champion Heza Dasha Fire, a full brother to Sweet Dasha Fire.
Howard Nichols’ homebred Jess Being A Friend (Jess Being Valiant-Six Zeroes) finished second under jockey Rodrigo Aceves. Elena Andrade trains the gelding. Jess Being A Friend ran second in the 2021 Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity-G1.
Insider Information (Favorite Cartel-Katie Katella), ridden by Juan Leon, ran third for owner Barry Woodhouse and trainer John Cooper.
Sweet Tess (Apollitical Jess-Separate Thoughts) and Corona Yo (Corona Cartel-Harem Carver) dead- heated for fourth. They were followed by Benevolent (Fly Thru The Fire-Bemused), Look Up (Kiddy Up-Look Her Over), and Favorite Habit (Favorite Cartel-Jess A Habit). Over Again was scratched.
Wild West Futurity-RG3
SUITE CAROLINE
Oby Michael Cusortelli
ne of four finalists trained by Monty Arrossa,
Suite Caroline, the ninth-fastest qualifier, won the $96,900 Wild West Futurity-RG3 at Los Alamitos on Oct. 23.
Suite Caroline battled in the beginning of the race with Jessica Cruz but was quickly able to take the lead and managed to surge at the end to win by 1/2-length under jockey Jesus Ayala. They went 350 yards in :17.910 to earn an 84 speed index. The filly earned the $40,698 winner’s share of the purse from her first career stakes victory.
Suite Caroline made her local debut with a second-place finish in one of three trials on Oct. 2. Campaigned in three states, including Wyoming and Utah, the filly has won four of seven races and has banked $72,324.
Blaine Bateman homebred Suite Caroline out of Just A Fairytale, a homebred winning mare. Suite Caroline was transferred to Arrossa from the barn of Riley Moosman, whose late father, Ron Moosman, was a friend and mentor of Arrossa.
The second-fastest qualifier, Jessica Cruz (FDD Dynasty-Jess Cuz) placed second inder jockey Adrian Loza. She earned $16,473 for her owner, Gary Laramie and trainer Elena Andrade.
Monicas Favorite (Favorite Cartel-Santa Monica MV) ran third, 3/4-lengths behind Suite Caroline, for owners Steve Berry and Jason Berry. Heath Taylor trained the homebred filly and Jose Nicasio was in the irons.
Jess Yaya (Jess Got Easier-Hadtobebasic), Secret Warning (Heat Warning-Secret Return), Sockit Tooya (Five Bar Cartel-Luv Supreme), Special Gift (Seperate Interest-Awesome Gift), BF Viral Interest (Seperate Interest-BF April Shower), My Lethal Jess (Lethal Corona-Jessflipacoin), and fastest qualifier One Sweet Duck (One Sweet Jess-Duck Dash N Go) completed the order of finish.
Los Alamitos • $125,000
440 yards • :21.225 • si 108
Mr Jess Perry
Apollitical Jess
Apollitical Time
Tres Seis
APOLLITICAL PENCE, ‘16-g.
Send City
Send Me The Candy
Los Alamitos • $124,460
400 yards • :19.831 • si 90
First Down Dash
Sweet Beduino Mr Jess Perry
Walk Thru Fire
SWEET DASHA FIRE, ‘19-f. Dasha Freda
Fearless Freda
Los Alamitos • $96,900
350 yards • :17.910 • si 84
Favorite Trick TB
Favorite Cartel
SUITE CAROLINE, ‘20-f. Just A Fairytale
Shenoshercorona Corona Cartel
Christie Jo Dash
180 SPEEDHORSE November 2022
William Zuazo, Los Alamitos
William Zuazo/Los Alamitos
William Zuazo/Los Alamitos