Three trials, three impressive winners, that was the big story on trial night to the $213,000 Governor's Cup Derby on Friday at Los Alamitos Race Course.

The first heat went to the fastest qualifier A Streakinson, who improved his record to three wins in as many starts in 2009 after covering the 400 yards in a time of :19.34. The second trial went to the talented filly First Magical Dash, who was the best in her anticipated duel against top princess and Grade 2 La Primera Del Ano Derby winner Alice K White.

The final trial was won by A Tempting Dash, who made a couple of mistakes at the start of his trial but still found a way to blow away the field in route to a superb victory in the final heat of the night. Headed by the three impressive winners, the horses with the 10 fastest times in the trials will return for the derby final on California Breeders Champions Night on Saturday, July 25.

Owned by Dr. Steve Burns, John Andreini and former Los Alamitos all-time leading jockey Danny Cardoza, A Streakinson has looked better and better with each one of his starts this year. Trained by Adan Farias, the Hawkinson gelding broke his maiden by 1 3/4 lengths on May 8 of this year before returning with a hard-fought allowance victory at 300 yards. Stretching to 400 yards in this derby trial - the farthest he has raced since running second in a trial to the 440-yard All American Futurity - A Streakinson was fifth at the start and third after the first call, a half-length behind PCQHRA Breeders Futurity winner Sixish. A Streakinson turned it on from there, moving ahead of his talented rival and then pulling away to win by 3/4 lengths. Rodrigo Aceves piloted A Streakinson, who was bred by Dr. Burns at his Menifee ranch.

"We always knew that this horse loved the distance," Andreini said. "His problem is that he is not always great at the start of his races. He would run like a quail sometimes, breaking in post number four and ending up in lane number eight. Or he would break in sometimes. He was always doing something. He finished with the 11th fastest time to the All American Futurity last year, so we knew that distance was his thing. He came flying tonight. This horse should be taken seriously. We want to run in the finals of this race and then we'll start thinking about the trials to the All American Derby."

Andreini and Cardoza became partners on this horse thanks to Dr. Burns.

"We liked this horse a lot when we saw him," Cardoza said. "But we didn't bid on him. When we asked Dr. Burns who had bought him he told us that he had repurchased the horse (for $19,000). I asked him if he would be interested in selling him to us for the repurchase price and he said, 'No, but I'll take a partner on him.' He kept 50 percent of the horse and John told him that we would split the other half.

"This horse has a lot of talent," Cardoza continued. "He can be a little green sometimes. He ran a race in which a horse came right in front of him, he circled that horse and still came up and won the race. He's a pretty good horse."

Sixish, also sired by Hawkinson, ran second in the Grade 1 Kindergarten Futurity and Grade 1 Ed Burke Million Futurity before winning the Grade 1 PCQHRA Breeders Futurity. He ran a solid season debut for Dutch Masters III and trainer Jaime Gomez. With Alejandro Luna in the irons, Sixish covered the distance in :19.44 to finish with the third fastest time in the trials.

The honor of being the second fastest qualifier went to Ron and Denise VanAmburgh and Giambi Stables' A Tempting Dash, who after some anxious moments at the start blew away his company by 1-1/2 lengths. With Luna in the irons for conditioner Gomez, the son of First Down Dash covered the distance in :19.415. The winner of the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Winter Derby earlier this year, A Tempting Dash appeared headed to nowhere early in this race after stumbling to his knees and then lugging way out of the picture. Everything changed for the better a few steps later, as he shifted inwards this time before exploding to a convincing victory.

 "He's done this before, where he stumbles or veers out like that," said Ron VanAmburgh, referring to his gelding's victory in the Los Alamitos Winter Derby trials. "I think it's just that he is hyper. It takes four people to saddle him because he won't settle down. That's just who he is. I thought our chances to win were over out of the gate. I would just love to see him run a perfectly clean race one time. It would be fun to see what he would do."

"I just like seeing him run a good race," added Jeremy Giambi. "He finished great tonight and qualified to the final. That's what we were hoping that he would do. When you look at these trials, there were only 21 horses but it was a magnificent group of high quality horses. It's an honor just to have a horse in the final and be in the company of these great horses."

Kris and Kevin Dickson and Pat Visscher's Making Choices, (a son of A Regal Choice) who qualified to the Governor's Cup Futurity last year as well as the PCQHRA Breeders Futurity, also made the field to this final after finishing second to A Tempting Dash with a time of :19.655. Pazazz Quarterhorses' Mr B (by First Down Dash), who was sent off at odds of 58-1, finished third but qualified with a time of :19.67. Jimmy Delivers (by Corona Czech) third in this year's El Primero Del Ano Derby and Los Alamitos Winter Derby, and second in last year's Governor's Cup, also qualified out of this trial with the ninth fastest time of :19.68.

EG High Desert Farms, owners of Jimmy Delivers, will have one other horse in the race in the form of First Magical Dash. The filly by Red Hot Rhythm was the leader of the second trial by daylight every single step of the race. Trained by Adan Farias and ridden by Rodrigo Aceves, First Magical Dash was ahead by 1-1/4 lengths after the first call and then she simply rolled on. A finalist in last year's Ed Burke Million Futurity, First Magical Dash has now finished second or better in seven of her 11 career starts.

Another notable finalist is Hard Hitting, who tied with Jimmy Delivers for the final qualifying time of :19.68. Hard Hitting won the Governor's Cup Futurity last year and his effort in the trials will keep his hopes of alive of becoming the sixth horse in the series' history to win both the Governor's Cup Futurity and Derby. -Courtesy of LosAlamitos.com

The complete list of qualifiers to the Governor's Cup Derby final on July 25 is as follows:

$231,000 GOVERNOR'S CUP DERBY-RG1
LOS ALAMITOS RACE COURSE
JULY 25, 2009

3-YEAR-OLDS
400 YARDS

Trial Notes: A Streakinson won the first of three trials by 3/4 over Sixish to set the fastest qualifying time. Champion Foose finished fifth in his 3-year-old debut after getting bumped at the start. EG High Desert Farms bred three finalists. -Courtesy of stallionesearch.com

Latest Class Inducted Into Ruidoso Racehorse Hall of Fame

JUNE 28, 2009—The 2009 class of all-time leading money-earning jockey G.R. Carter Jr., All American Futurity winning trainer Ted Wells, influential owner-breeders the Allred brothers and All American Futurity winner Strawberry Silk were inducted into the Ruidoso Downs Racehorse Hall of Fame during ceremonies on Saturday night at Ruidoso Downs. Carter is the first active jockey to be inducted into the Racehorse Hall of Fame. A year ago, he became the all-time leading money-earning quarter horse jockey and his mounts’ earning now surpass $47 million. This year his mounts have earned $2.3 million. The Oklahoma native has won 273 stakes races, including the All American Futurity twice, with Falling In Loveagain (1998) and Stolis Winner (2008). Wells, of Pawhuska, Oklahoma, is a legendary horseman and won the 1965 All American Futurity with Savannah Jr, who won by a stakes record of more than two lengths. He also trained major stakes winners Bob’s Folly, Easter Rose and Lena's Bar (TB) for hall of fame horseman Walter Merrick. Lena's Bar went on to produce world champion and All American Futurity winner Easy Jet. Wells then managed a breeding farm that stood important sires Azure Te (tb), Easy Six and Savannah Jr. The three Allred brothers – Jerry, Dale and Harvey – built a respected breeding operation in Mesa, Arizona. Jerry is the sole surviving brother and continues the breeding program that has produced such distinguished runners as 2002 All American Futurity winner and two-time champion AB What A Runner. The Allred brothers also bred leading sire Walk Thru Fire and raced Mark t Bars, who won a record 64 races. Strawberry Silk earned the champion two-year-old and champion two-year-old filly titles in 1989 after winning the All American Futurity and Sun Country Futurity for then owner Jacqueline Spencer of Alto, New Mexico. She is now owned by David and Susan Mackie of Houston, Texas. An All American Futurity victory and a championship title were just the first segment of a hall-of-fame career for the daughter of Beduino (TB) and Painted Bug. She became a broodmare and has produced four stakes winners, headed by champion Stoli. Stoli raced to Grade 1 wins in the All American Derby and the West Texas Futurity, and was honored as the champion three-year old and champion three-year-old colt. He is the sire of 2008 world champion Stolis Winner and stands at the 6666 Ranch in Guthrie, Texas. Strawberry Silk is also the dam of All American Juvenile winner Rousing Encore and the stakes winning Corona Cartel son Pappasito, who stands at Lazy E Ranch in Guthrie, Oklahoma. -Courtesy of stallionesearch.com

More News for Corona Cartel

One Tough Dude Sets New Ruidoso Track Record

JUNE 28, 2009—Ed Calvert’s homebred One Tough Dude was not deterred by a muddy racing surface when he raced to a new 300-yard track record of :15.019 while winning the sixth race at Ruidoso Downs on Sunday afternoon. The time eclipsed the previous track record of :15.050 set by Special Task Force in 2006. One Tough Dude broke alertly from the gate and was never challenged while drawing out to the two-length win over Dancin La Jolla in the full field of allowance horses. The Paul Jones-trained One Tough Dude, a son of Corona Cartel and the First Down Dash daughter Start The Commotion, was ridden by Cody Jensen. One Tough Dude was making his first start at 300 yards. At Sunland Park he was second in a pair of 400 yard races and then was non-threatening sixth in his 400-yard Ruidoso Derby trial in his only other start at the mountain track.
-Courtesy ofstallionesearch.com

More News for Corona Cartel

FRESHMAN SIRE OCEAN RUNAWAY GETS FIRST STAKES WINNER

June 24, 2009 - Freshman sire Ocean Runaway got his first stakes winner on June 14 when Funaway was named the winner of the Jodys Glory Classic at Hipodromo de las Americas in Mexico.Funaway is a bay filly owned by Efren Garcia Ramirez. In the Jodys Glory, she crossed the wire behind the dead-heated pair of Trick Or Cash and The Kainala. However, those horses were disqualified for interference and placed second, moving Funaway to first. Funaway has now won one of four starts and earned $23,594.

Bred by Robert Gentry, Funaway is out of the Chicks Beduino mare Fearless Chick, a daughter of Fearless Freda and thus a half sister to champion Fredricksburg. Ocean Runaway is a 7-year-old stallion by all-time leading sire First Down Dash out of broodmare of the year Runaway Wave, by Runaway Winner (also the sire and dam of Wave Carver ). In two seasons on the track, he earned $1,642,498. His stakes victories include the 2005 Champion of Champions (G1), Grade 1 2004 Golden State Million, Los Alamitos Million futurities,  the Governor's Cup Futurity (RG1) and PCQHRA Breeders' Derby (G2). He also ran second in the Rainbow Derby (G1) and Los Alamitos Super Derby (G1).

From 56 starters in his first crop, Ocean Runaway has gotten 13 winners. He currently stands second on the leading freshman sires list.

Ocean Runaway is owned by a syndicate and stands at the Four Sixes Ranch at Guthrie, Texas.

-Courtesy of AQHA.com/racing

LD FIRE AND STREAKIN LAQUINTA SHARE DEAD-HEAT WIN IN ED BURKE MILLION FUTURITY

June 20, 2009 - Despite bumps early on, favorite LD Fire and Streakin Laquinta both recovered to finish in a dead-heat in the 59th running of the Ed Burke Million Futurity at Los Alamitos.Streakin Laquinta lead the whole 350-yards, while LD Fire rallied from a fifth place start to end up the three quarters-length victors in this historic split decision.

Alejandro Luna rode LD Fire and Eddie Garcia rode Streaking Laquinta to their :17.341 finish, good enough to earn both a 97 speed index.

The Walk Thru Fire filly is co-owned by breeder Mike Abraham, Jaime Gomez and Alfonzo Pasquel. She is Walk Thru Fire's second Ed Burke Million winner since 2005. The Bobenrieths' Pazazz Quarterhorses Ltd. is the owner/breeder of the Streakin La Jolla colt."Alejandro Luna told me that he had about a half length to make up on Streakin Laquinta," said Abraham. "She was at fault of the bump at the start. I was sure that we had finished second, which is still a great result for this type of a race. When I saw it was a dead heat I started thinking what could have been if she had not made that mistake at the start. I am happy right now. She finished tremendously and battled back to get a share of the win. I'll sleep really good tonight."John Bobenrieth echoed the happy sentiment of Abraham."It doesn't matter to us if it came in a dead-heat or not. This is big and it's a lot of fun. There was stuff going on in the middle of the track and he ended up getting caught on his back end," Bobenrieth said. "But I guess that's good because everyone else is getting in trouble behind you. Eddie did a great job handling this horse. He deserves a lot of the credit."

Streakin Laquinta is the first foal out of the stakes winner A Sisstar, by First Down Dash. She is a full sibbling to World Champion A Ranson and the Oklahoma-based stallion Righteous Brother.

LD Fire is out of $297,153 earner Prima LD, who is sired by two-time Vessels Maturity winner Jazzing Hi ($317, 916). Trainers for LD Fire and Streakin Laquinta were Los Alamitos futurity dominating Jamie Gomez and top female trainer Connie Hall, respectively. Both colt and filly took home $283,200 for their efforts.

Gianni Samaja's Three Times The Toll earned $115,200 for third, My Sexy Lady earned $67,200 for fourth, Mollys Cartel was fifth, Rocco Rojo, Tools Of Fire, Dashingfordestiny, Fire Specialist and Shining First Dash completed the field.-Courtesy of AQHA.com/racing

--Earlier in the evening Kindergarten Futurity finalist Tylerite won the Ed Burke Juvenile for Ron Keller and Ronnie B. Keller. G.R. Carter piloted the TR Dasher gelding for Blane Schvaneveldt.

-Courtesy of LosAlamitos.com

FREAKY SETS RECORD IN VESSELS MATURITY WIN

June 19, 2009 - Freaky broke his own track record Friday on his way to a one and a half-length victory over A Mere Splash in the $150,000 Vessels Maturity.

The TR Dasher gelding lead the whole 400 yards and finished in :19.156, better than the :19.170 track record he set on May 30. Freaky, who is owned by Armando Aguirre, netted $63,000 for his 104 speed index earning run.His performance also qualified the $146,300 earner for a spot in the $750,000 Champion of Champions."I was watching the start of the race on one of the TV monitors and when I saw the way he broke out of the gate I knew we had it won," said the 53-year-old Aguirre. "Watching him run I was thinking, 'We're going to win.' I've only heard about the Champion of Champions and I really didn't know much about the race. I'm going to learn about it now. This is much bigger than I ever imagined it."Freaky was ridden to the win by 21-year-old Francisco Rubio and is trained by Adan Farias. Despite the gelding's multiple track records - he also holds the 350-yard track record - Farias had his doubts."I wasn't sure if he was for real even after his first two records," Farias said. "Now I can tell you that he is for real. This was his most impressive effort by far. I'm a believer in him now. You know, in the trials he benefited from a 12 mile per hour tail wind but it looked like there was a cross win for this race tonight."

Freaky now has five wins in 19 starts, winning three of his last four starts since being purchased by Aguierre in mid-March.Freaky was bred by Edward C. Allred and is out of Chickasecret, by Raise A Secret ($705, 483) who won both the 1985 Dash For Cash and Los Alamitos Futurity.A Mere Splash, owned by Felix A. Gonzalez, finished second. JP Rhythm was moved up to third, followed by First To Reach, Stylish Jess BR, Premium Venu, Really A First, Hawk In The City and A Mere Chocolate. Fighter On Fire crossed the wire third but was disqualified and placed sixth for interference nearing the sixteenth pole.

-Courtesy of AQHA.com/racing

The hard knocking mare Spanish Cartel has bumped heads against the top distaffers at Los Alamitos for more than a year with little success, that is until Friday's $15,000 Cash For Kas Handicap. Ridden by Rodrigo Aceves for trainer Adan Farias, Spanish Cartel flew in the final 110 yards of the 350-yard race to catch Chalala in the final stage of the Cash For Kas. Owned by A Regal Choice Inc's Spanish Cartel's late lightning strike helped her score a half-length victory over Chalala to give her win number three in six starts this year. Spanish Cartel, who has won two in a row, gives Corona Cartel another nice winner after the great stallion won his 100th stakes victory earlier this month. Spanish Cartel covered the distance in a fast :17.38 while earning $8,250 for the effort. Bred by Erik and Francisco Flores, she has now banked $53,566 in her career. 

-Courtesy of LosAlamitos.com