Favorite Jesshawk vs. Defending Champ. It’s the best rivalry going at Los Alamitos in 2025. The third matchup of this heavyweight battle took place in the Grade 2, $197,300 Golden State Derby here on Saturday night and for the first time this year EG High Desert Farms’ homebred Favorite Jesshawk got the best of Ed Allred’s Defending Champ.
Ridden by Ricardo Ramirez for trainer Jesus Nunez, Favorite Jesshawk kicked into high gear the moment he left the starting gate from post number two, establishing a half-length advantage from post number two before shifting into hyperdrive to increase his lead to a length. The lead was just too much for Defending Champ to overcome, even as powerfully as he closes, as Favorite Jesshawk crossed the wire a half-length in front of nemesis while covering the 400 yards in :19.742.
Defending Champ had won their previous two encounters, first when scoring a ¾ length win in the Governor’s Cup Derby on July 26 and most recently when winning their Golden State Derby trial by only a nose on August 16. Defending Champ remains with a 2-1 advantage over Favorite Jesshawk, but the momentum has now switched to the colt by A Mere Felix following his Golden State Derby win. Favorite Jesshawk improved to six wins from 15 starts while earning the third stakes win of his career. He won the Governor’s Cup Futurity and the Los Alamitos Two Million Juvenile Invitational while also qualifying to the Grade 1 Golden State Million Futurity.
“Every good horse gets their moment,” said Enrique Gonzalez, owner of EG High Desert Farms. “When a horse gets a great start, you often get a great win. The horse improved his start tonight, no one bothered him, and he won nicely. This horse is very sound. He’s never had an issue. He benefited from breaking cleanly. He had no trouble, he did his job and when a horse can break, he has a chance to do well.”
Favorite Jesshawk has formed a great partnership with Ricardo Ramirez, a leading Thoroughbred and distance rider at Los Alamitios, who has ridden the colt in every one of his starts.
“Ricardo has been great,” Gonzalez added. “He fights for good results and is a hard worker. I caught my eye when he was riding Thoroughbreds. I talked to his agent (Frank Quezada) and told him that I liked Ricardo to start riding Quarter Horses. Frank agreed and Ricardo kept improving. He’s very humble, he’s quiet and he’s been really good.”
Favorite Jesshawk earned $82,866 for the win to take his career earnings to $385,167. The next opportunity to face Defending Champ will come in the trials to the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Super Derby on October 19.
Defending Champ, a gelding by Favorite Cartel and out of Eagle On The Fly, broke from the outside post number nine, was sixth at the start and continuously made up ground but simply ran out of distance to make the race any closer following Favorite Jesshawk’s tremendous start. Ridden by Gabriel Lara for trainer Scott Willoughby, Defending Champ earned $33,541 for his runner-up effort. He’s now made $167,400. Bred by Steve Burns, Defending Champ has been first or second in nine of 13 starts.
Gentry Farms’ Beach Walk finished third to earn $23,676. The filly by Freighttrain B was making her fourth appearance in a stakes race. She previously ran third in the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Oaks and was second in the La Pacifica Handicap. Eduardo Nicasio rode the Gentry Farms-bred filly for trainer Juan Aleman.
Here’s the complete order of finish: Favorite Jesshawk, Defending Champ, Beach Walk, Astronomical 123, Listen Now, Its On You, CM Jesse B A Cowboy, Naive and Robs Reason.
