Page 165 - Speedhorse April 2021

but in the final yards he put on a burst of speed that carried him to the front. He scored by a nose over the favorite in :19.858.
“The horse did everything right and he was strong at the end,” said Lara. “He never folded and just kept getting stronger and stronger, and thankfully we got the victory.”
Favorite Colossus picked a good time for the win because De Alba had considered geld- ing the colt.
“He was still green and immature,” said De Alba. “I wasn’t so sure that he was going to run this big. I told the owner that we might need to geld this horse. Obviously, he’s a good horse— he’s sound and he’s happy.”
Favorite Colossus last year ran fourth in the Governor’s Cup Futurity-RG1 and Pat Hyland Memorial Handicap.
“After the Governor’s Cup last year, he wasn’t paid into anything else,” said De Alba. “So we just gave him some time.”
De Alba won 1,031 Quarter Horse races
as a jockey, and he took the 2014 El Primero Del Ano Derby aboard Champion Moonist. De Alba began training in February 2019, and his first stakes victory came in the 2020 John Ward Handicap with Staubauch.
“It’s a lot of hard work, and sometimes you get down,” De Alba said. “You get up at 3:30 in the morning to be here at 4:30. It is a lot of hard work, but this makes it all worth it.”
The Cravens live in Corona, California, and their biggest previous win came when One Sweet Jewel captured the 2016 Autumn Handicap.
“We’re just little home breeders,” said Jeff. “We have a home here in California. We have a ranch in Oregon, where we keep them and raise them.”
With pandemic restrictions in California now a little more relaxed, Jeff was able to see his colt’s Derby victory in person.
“We have missed a lot, but we got tonight,” Jeff said. “I wouldn’t change this. This is one of the biggest moments we’ve had. I was shaking when I was calling my wife.”
The Cravens bred Favorite Colossus in Oregon from Warm It Up, bred and raced by Dr. Ed Allred to a win in the 2011 La Pacifica Handicap. Warm It Up has produced three winners from four starters. Favorite Colossus is by Favorite Cartel.
“We have a Favorite Cartel yearling filly at home that we like,” said Jeff. “We’ll need to be patient with her, but I think she’s showing some good potential and competitiveness.”
Constituent (Seperate Interest-Tahma Hawk) finished second under jockey Ruben Lozano for owner M & G Farms Inc. and trainer Valentin Zamudio. The colt won the 2020 Governor’s Cup Futurity.
Raul Valenzuela rode BF Outfoosed (Foose-BF Outrageous) to third for owners Les and Kim Sweeting and trainer Paul Jones. BF Outfoosed won two of 11 previous starts.
Completing the field were Dont Ride The Slide (Coronado Cartel-Mighty Shazoom), Fly The Coup (Favorite Cartel- Babe On The Fly), Favorite Five (Favorite
Cartel-Five Bar Molly), Untuckit (Favorite Cartel-Remember The Cartel), Garda Da Cash (Good Reason SA-Forever Bradgelina), Watch Over Bella (One Famous Eagle- Gotcha Bella) and This Parties Hoppin (Five Bar Cartel-Bsimjumpn).
Favorite Colossus returns after his victory
RACING NEWS
Favorite Colossus’ winning connections include owners/breeders Michelle & Jeff Cravens, trainer Cesar DeAlba and jockey Irving Lara
SPEEDHORSE April 2021 163
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