Page 172 - May 2022

RACING NEWS
Rillito Park Championship
FAMOUS BLUE EAGLE
by Danny Camp
Famous Blue Eagle scored his first victory in stakes company in the $32,000 Rillito Park Championship on April 3.
A small head wind and a fast track greeted eight brave starters. Jockey Albert Medrano has figured out what makes Famous Blue Eagle run, and has won the last two outs on the gelding. They broke well from the 3-post and quickly grabbed the lead. They dueled throughout the 250 yards and crossed the wire a neck in front, stopping the timer in :13.036 for a quick 111 speed index.
Trained by Jorge Duarte-Noriega, Famous
Blue Eagle has won two races from 11 starts and
the $17,600 winner’s share of the purse pushed his bankroll to $36,572 for owners Jose Luis Zuniga Rey.
Reliance Ranches bred Famous Blue Eagle out of 5-time winner Shades Of Blues Girl, who finished third in the 2014 Remington Park Oklahoma Bred Derby-RG3 and was also a finalist in the Heritage Place Derby-G2 that same year. She has produced two winners from five starters with Famous Blue Eagle being her first stakes winner.
Jess Zoomin Senator (Louisiana Senator-Jz Annie) and Michael Ybarra overcame a poor start to get up for second for owners Joseph & Danny Riesgo and trainer Anthony Blea III.
Turbulent Kisses (Turbulent Times-Kisses Calientes) and jockey Mark Jasso were placed third after a disqualification for trainer Heraclio Botello and owner Francisco Ayon.
Skysthalimitcarver (Wave Carver-Lonely Dove) was fourth and was followed by NSM Hollywood Nights (FDD Dynasty-Jessthelouisianagirl), and Feature Me Gorgeous (Giorgino-Rebas Feature). Mae Capone (FDD Dynasty-Cold Hearted
Cartel) completed the order of finish. Remember Denny (Docs Best Card-Brownleggedwoman) was disqualified from third and placed seventh.
James Smith Memorial
A FAMOUS RIBBON
by Tracy Gantz
AFamous Ribbon parlayed a career that began in his native Texas into a stakes win in California. Favored at 3-5, A Famous Ribbon captured the $25,000 James S. Smith Memorial Handicap at Los Alamitos on April 2.
Drawn on the outside and ridden by Cruz Mendez, A Famous Ribbon broke on top and engaged with Up The Ladder. Those two pulled away from the rest in the final part of the 350-yard race. At the wire, A Famous Ribbon defeated Up The Ladder by a 1/2-length in :17.612 in what was a wire-to-wire victory.
Adrian Aleman owns A Famous Ribbon, bred by Weetona Stanley and a $30,000 yearling at Heritage Place.
A Famous Ribbon won twice at Lone Star Park before Aleman sent him to trainer Jose Flores at Los Alamitos. The gelding won his trial for the Los Alamitos Winter Derby-G1 and finished fourth in the final prior to the James S. Smith Memorial.
Stanley bred A Famous Ribbon from Fast Prize Ribbon, a daughter of Grade 1 winner Fast First Prize. The mare has produced 9 winners in 16 starters, including stakes-placed One Famous Ribbon.
Second-place Up The Ladder (Kiddy Up-Oh La Princess) is a homebred for Dr. Ed Allred. Jonathan Roman rode the gelding for trainer Scott Willoughby. Up The Ladder scored in the 2021 Holiday Handicap and Dream A Secret Handicap.
Armando Cervantes rode Mound Valley Eagle (One Fabulous Eagle-Royal Fooseperrypie) to third for owners Andrea and Eddie Jensen and trainer Monty Arrossa. Mound Valley Eagle won last year’s Hadley/Giles Futurity and Beehive Futurity.
Completing the field were Namgis Azoom
On By (Kiss My Hocks-Between The Line), Docs Fastlane (Docs Best Card-Bev’s Fast Lane TB), and All Ways (Fly Thru The Fire-Million Ways).
Dashing Folly Stakes
GOTTA CORONA JESS
by Tracy Gantz
Owner Manuel Alvarez won his first-ever Los Alamitos stakes when his 4-year-old filly Gotta Corona Jess captured the $25,000 Dashing Folly
Stakes at the California track on April 10. Gotta Corona Jess was winning her first lifetime stakes after coming close in two others.
Trained by Lindolfo Diaz and ridden by Ruben Lozano, Gotta Corona Jess broke on top but inward from the 3-post in the 350-yard Dashing Folly. She led throughout and scored by a head over favored College Scandal in :17.632, posting a 92 speed index.
Gotta Corona Jess hadn’t won since putting three victories together about a year ago. However, she had run second in the Sound Dash Handicap and third in the Chiquitas Stakes last year.
“This mare ranks high up there among the horses that I’ve owned,” said Alvarez.
Juan Aleman, who trains 2nd placed College Scandal, bred Gotta Corona Jess in Oklahoma from Gotta Corona Pop, a winning Corona Cartel mare he owned & trained during her brief racing career. Gotta Corona Jess is the mare’s only starter so far. Gotta Corona Pop is a 1/2-sister to stakes winners Jodys Money Pop, Shez Bodacious & Gols Honey Money Pop.
Gentry Farms’ homebred College Scandal (Coronas Leaving You-Fovee) finished second for jockey Jesus Ayala. The 4-year-old filly won the 2021 PCQHR A Breeders Derby-G2.
Cotton Cartel (Special Cartel-Cotton Belle TB), bred and owned by Ashley Garcia, ran third for jockey Henry Lopez and trainer Angela Aquino. The 6-year-old mare ran second in the 2019 Jack Clifford Stakes.
Rounding out the field were Elphaba (Kiss My Hocks-Witchs Streak), Go To Girl (Favorite Cartel- Remember Me Rose), La Reina Del Sur 1 (Favorite Cartel-Go First N Famous), and Roving Kind (Kiddy Up-Escape The Fire).
Rillito Park • $32,000
250 yards • :13.036 • si 111
Mr Jess Perry
One Famous Eagle
One Famous Lady
FAMOUS BLUE EAGLE, ‘18-g.
Corona Cartel
Shades Of Blues Girl
Run The Dash
Los Alamitos • $25,000
350 yards • :17.632 • si 92
Mr Jess Perry
Apollitical Jess
Apollitical Time
GOTTA CORONA JESS, ‘18-f.
Corona Cartel
Gotta Corona Pop
Gotta Money Pop
Los Alamitos • $25,000
350 yards • :17.612 • si 93
Mr Jess Perry
One Famous Eagle
A FAMOUS RIBBON, ‘19-g.
One Famous Lady
Corona Cartel
Fast Prize Ribbon
Fast First Prize
170 SPEEDHORSE May 2022
Coady Photography
Los Alamitos
Los Alamitos