All American Derby Qualifiers

Posted by Speedhorse on 08/22/2015
Apollitical Blood si 93, $505,520
Mad About The Moon si 107, $618,359
Politicaly Correct si 97, $222,848
Dynazip si 91, $38,754
Kiss My Hocks si 109, $1,145,861
Sam Crow si 95, $438,463
Fire Fortune si 95, $115,563
Famous Corona Lady si 96, $53,422
Premier Ethics si 98, $101,064
Bringin The Gray si 88, $10,292
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Written by Stacy Pigott

A total of 12 trials to the Grade 1 All American Derby were held on Aug. 23 at Ruidoso Downs. The three year olds with the 10 fastest times earned a starting spot in the $2,378,383 All American Derby on Sept. 6. The next 10 fastest horses were given priority to enter the $100,000 First Down Dash Stakes on the same day. The $2.3 million purse of the All American Derby is the largest for three year olds in Quarter Horse racing, and even surpasses that of the famed Kentucky Derby for Thoroughbreds, which offers a $2 million purse.

 

:21.352 *Apollitical Blood, c, (Apollitical Jess-Brazilian Dasher)

Rancho El Cabresto Inc/Juan Aleman/Eduardo Nicasio

:21.455 *Mad About The Moon, g, (First Moonflash-Streaking Power)

David G Valdez/Victor H Rodriguez-Flores/Manuel Gutierrez

:21.464 *Politicaly Correct, g, (Apollitical Jess-Senorita Tres)

Walter R Harrison & James E Helzer/James E Helzer/Larry D Payne

:21.469 *Dynazip, c, (FDD Dynasty-Zip Zima)

Martin Ybarra/Victor H Rodriguez-Flores/Manuel Gutierrez

:21.547 *Kiss My Hocks, c, (Tempting Dash-Romancing Mary)

Conda Maze & Tyler Graham/Toby Keeton/G R Carter Jr

:21.549 Sam Crow, g, (Valiant Hero-Bourbonstreetchick)

Terry Baber/G Blane Wood/Ricky Ramirez

:21.559 *Fire Fortune, g, (Walk Thru Fire-Sizzling)

Paul C Jones/Paul C Jones/Cody Jensen

:21.567 *Premier Ethics, f, (Ethics Aside-Poker Pot Dash)

Double A Ranch/Jorge L Gonzalez/Yordanis Amaro

:21.567 *Famous Corona Lady, f, (Corona Cartel-One Famous Lady)

Jon & Donna McPherson/Wesley T Giles/Adrian A Ramos

:21.590 *Bringin The Gray, g, (Mr Jess Perry-None As Easy)

Edilberto & Oscar Ivan Estrada/Jesus E Marquez/Manuel Gutierrez

*Won Trial

 

Apollitical Blood qualified for 4 Grade 1 races at two, and notched his 1st Grade 1 derby berth in the All American Derby trials. Ridden by Eduardo Nicasio in the 7th of 12 trials, Apollitical Blood broke well & quickly established himself as a frontrunner. Midway through, the colt hit another gear & opened up a 1/2-length lead. He extended the margin to 2 1/4-lengths at the wire, stopping the clock in :21.352. The win was the 4th for Apollitical Blood. Trained by Juan Aleman, his only other 2015 start came in a trial to the Rainbow Derby where he was 4th, qualifying to the $100,000 Corona Cartel Stakes. Aleman and owner Rancho el Cabresto Inc. passed on that berth, opting for the All American Derby. Apollitical Blood will be looking to win his 1st stakes, having finished 2nd in the Golden State Million F.-G1, 4th in the All American F.-G1, 5th in the Ed Burke Million F.-G1 & 6th in the Los Alamitos Two Million F.-G1.

 

Mad About The Moon came within 1/2-length of All American glory last year when he finished 2nd in the All American Futurity-G1. The First Moonflash gelding will try to redeem himself when he goes postward in the All American Derby-G1 for trainer Victor Rodriguez-Flores & owner David Valdez. Ridden by Manuel Gutierrez, Mad About The Moon won the 2nd All American Derby trial by 3/4-lengths in :21.455. In addition to his All American Futurity runner-up finish, Mad About The Moon also won the New Mexico Classic Futurity and was 2nd in the Southwest Juvenile Championship. He began 2015 by setting a 350-yard New Track Record of :17.005 at The Downs at Albuquerque in the Conquistador Stakes. Mad About The Moon is the richest starter out of his dam, winner Streaking Power (si 93, $12,437). Jockey Gutierrez also qualified Dynazip & Bringin The Gray to the All American Derby, while trainer Rodriguez-Flores also saddled Dynazip. 

 

Larry Payne guided Politicaly Correct to a 1 1/4-length win in the 12th & final All American Derby trial. The gelding has already scored stakes wins in 2 different states this year and seeks to add to his record when he goes postward in the All American Derby on Sept. 6. Trained by Jim Helzer, who co-owns the Apollitical Jess gelding with breeder Walter Harrison, Politicaly Correct won the Hialeah El Nino Invit. on Jan. 17 before scoring an impressive 1-length win in the Oklahoma Derby in March. He was also 2nd in the Grade 2 Heritage Place Derby, which was his last start before shipping to Ruidoso for the All American trials. Politicaly Correct is 1 of 2 All American Derby qualifiers sired by Apollitical Jess, who is the only sire to be represented by more than 1 starter. Politicaly Correct is the leading money earner out of Senorita Tres (si 106, $140,730, Ntr), who won 11 stakes races and 18 of 26 starts from 2007-2009. 

 

Martin Ybarra’s Dynazip scored a win in the 4th All American Derby trial, crossing the wire at odds of 11-1. It was the 2nd win of the day for jockey Manuel Gutierrez & trainer Victor Flores-Rodriguez, who also won the 2nd trial with fellow qualifier Mad About The Moon. Dynazip’s :21.469 was 2-lengths better than his competition, and followed 4th-places in his other 2 starts this year. The son of FDD Dynasty previously qualified to the Hobbs America F. and Sunland Winter F., finishing 6th in both. Bred by Paul Taylor Jr. & Paul Taylor III, Dynazip is from a maternal line developed by the Gentry Bros. through blue hen mare Zipp Zoro, dam of Zip Dash ($211,522), Zipuino ($230,080) & Fodice ($119,841). Dynazip is out of stakes-placed Zip Zima (si 89, $14,549), dam of stakes winners ZZ Dynasty (si 91, $108,943) & Zimalue (si 104, $86,124). This maternal family has also produced Champion Okey Dokey Fantasy ($576,521) & Fovee ($380,385).

 

Last year’s Champion 2 Year Old and 2-Year-Old Colt Kiss My Hocks lived up to his heavily favored status in the 3rd trial with an easy 1-length win, setting the 5th-fastest qualifying time of :21.547. G.R.Carter, Jr. rode the Tempting Dash colt, who recorded his 9th win in 11 starts. The million-dollar earner won the Sam Houston F.-G2 & Ruidoso F.-G1 during last year’s campaign, setting a 330-yard New Track Record of :16.433 in the Sam Houston F. trials in his 1st official start. He was also 2nd in the Rainbow F.-G1. This year, Kiss My Hocks has been equally impressive, winning the Rainbow D.-G1 for owners Tyler Graham & Conda Maze after an impressive 2-length trial score. Toby Keeton trains Kiss My Hocks, who is out of stakes-placed winner Romancing Mary (si 103, $163,294), the dam of Grade 2 finalist My Famous Romance (si 95, $45,814) who is a 1/2-sister to stakes-placed Awesome Ashley.

 

Sam Crow could be poised for a landmark effort after just missing in several major stakes. The Blane Wood trainee earned his 1st black type finishing 2nd in the Ruidoso Juvenile last year. While his winning effort in a trial to the Rainbow F. didn’t result in a finals berth, he redeemed himself by qualifying to the All American F.-G1, finishing 3rd by just 1/2-length. As a 3 year old this year, Sam Crow won trials to the Ruidoso & Rainbow derbies, earning a return call in the G1 Rainbow, where he ran 2nd. Ridden by Ricky Ramirez, Sam Crow went off favored in the 2nd All American Derby trial, where he led early before getting outfinished by Mad About The Moon. Both horses advance to the Sept. 6 finals, Sam Crow with the 6th-fastest time of :21.549. Owned by Terry Baber, of Burkburnett, Texas, Sam Crow is a 1/2-brother to stakes winner Corona Street (si 96, $36,141) & multiple Grade 2 finalist Teller More Bourbon (si 104, $110,069, Ntr).

 

Fire Fortune spent the 1st year and a half of his career at Los Alamitos, where he was an allowance winner although without any stakes races on his record. That changed when he moved to Ruidoso, where the Walk Thru Fire gelding won an allowance before qualifying to the Rainbow D.-G1. Owned & trained by Paul Jones, he was 5th in the finals, which was his last start prior to the All American Derby trials. Ridden by Cody Jensen, Fire Fortune used a late rush to clear the field in the 10th trial, crossing the wire 1 1/4-lengths in front. His time of :21.559 was good enough for his 2nd stakes berth of the summer. Bred by Jaime Gomez, Fire Fortune is a 1/2-brother to All American F.-G1 qualifier Giving It All. Their 2nd dam is Tiny Dash Of Cash (si 105, $211,118), a 1/2-sister to Champion 3-Year-Old Filly Tiny First Effort (si 105, $445,393), Tiny First Down (si 105, $317,881), Crash Thru Traffic (si 108, $140,595), and others.

 

Famous Corona Lady will face the starter in a stakes race for the 2nd time in her career in the All American Derby. The Corona Cartel filly previously qualified to the Ruidoso F.-G1, where she was 5th in the finals. Bypassing both of the earlier Triple Crown derbies, Famous Corona Lady made only one 2015 start prior to the All American Derby trials, finishing 4th on July 18. That race set her up for the 9th trial on Aug. 23. Ridden by Adrian Ramos, Famous Corona Lady broke well & hooked up with Corona The Cat out of the gates. Those 2 dueled early, with Famous Corona Lady getting the upper hand by 1-length midway through. Holding off a strong challenge from Cobalt Creek, Famous Corona Lady prevailed in :21.567 to win by a head & secure a finals berth. Wesley Giles trains the filly, who is a 1/2-sister to leading sire and Champion One Famous Eagle, for owners Jon & Donna McPherson.

 

Premier Ethics carries an undefeated record into the All American Derby-G1. The Ethics Aside daughter didn’t make her 1st start until Dec. 26, 2014, when she powered her way to a 1 1/2-length maiden win at Hialeah Park. Her winning streak includes victories in the Sunshine State D. & the Juno’s Request S.-G2. Admittedly, she may face her toughest challenge to date in the All American Derby-G1, where she will represent owner Double A Ranch & trainer Jorge Gonzalez. Yordanis Amaro was aboard Premier Ethics in the 8th All American Derby trial, where the filly broke in but quickly found her stride. Despite lugging in, she fought her way to the lead by the midway point and held on for a neck in a time of :21.567. Premier Ethics is out of the unraced Reeds Dash mare Poker Pot Dash, whose only other registered foal, the Dashing Val filly South Beach Special, went winless in 2 starts in 2009.

 

In the next-to-last trial for the All American Derby-G1, Bringin The Gray brought his A-game, upsetting the field as the 3rd-longest shot. Ridden by Manuel Gutierrez, Bringin The Gray broke quickly & chased only First Fancy Chic for the 1st part of the race. Sticking his head in front in mid-stretch, Bringin The Gray inched away to win by 1/2-length in :21.590. The finals will represent the 1st stakes appearance for the gelding, who is owned by Edilberto Estrada & Oscar Ivan Estrada and trained by Jesus Marquez. The All American Derby trial was the 2nd career win for Bringin The Gray, whose dam, None As Easy (si 111, $265,132, Ntr), won 7 stakes in the mid-2000s. Walt & Pat Fletcher bred Bringin The Gray, who is a 1/2-brother to multiple stakes winner & Grade 1-placed Believers Gathering (si 109, $180,664) & Grade 1 finalist Number One Cartel (si 96, $63,606). His 3-year-old full brother is stakes-placed Call As Maybe (si 92, $28,256).

 

 

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