A star-studded group led by fastest qualifier and multiple graded stakes winner Up To Party and 2024 Governor’s Cup Futurity winner Favorite Jesshawk will headline the running of the Restricted Grade 2, $175,000 Governor’s Cup Derby on Saturday at Los Alamitos.
Ten sophomores will be in action in the 400-yard derby with Grade 1 Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity finalist Walking Tool and Grade 2 El Primero Del Ano Derby runner-up Defending Champ among the other top names in this field. Party Time Tom, a full brother to Up To Party, Snow Bound, a half-brother to multiple Grade 1 winner BH Lisas Boy, and Grade 1 Los Alamitos Oaks finalist Call Her Perfect just a few of the other talented runners in this outstanding derby. The Governor’s Cup Derby is the fourth race on the nine-race California Breeders Champions Night card.
Dunn Ranch’s Up To Party, winner of the Grade 1 Ed Burke Million Futurity and Grade 2 PCQHRA Breeders Futurity, enters the Governor’s Cup Derby with the top qualifying time after winning her trial in a time of :19.715. Ridden by Armando Cervantes for trainer Ramiro Castillo, Up To Party will look to become the first filly since Scoop Of Sunshine in 2013 to win the Governor’s Cup Derby. She’ll start from post number six and is the 2-1 morning line favorite.
A filly by Kiddy Up out of the Grade 1 winner The Partys On Fire, Up To Party has won six of nine career starts. The Ed Allred-bred filly has career earnings of $548,650.
EG High Desert Farms’ homebred Favorite Jesshawk will look to become the ninth horse to sweep the Governor’s Cup Series and the first to do so since Powerful Favorite accomplished the double in 2018-19. To be ridden by Ricardo Ramirez from post number two for trainer Jesus Nunez, the colt by A Mere Felix ran was second behind Up To Party in the trials while posting the second fastest time of :19.786. Interestingly, Favorite Jesshawk won the Governor’s Cup Futurity from post two last year. The colt will also look to give EG High Desert Farms finished with the second fastest time of :19.786 and will now look give EG High Desert Farms its third Governor’s Cup Derby win following Magic N Rhythm in 2003 and Unclaimed Dividend in 2016.
Allred’s Defending Champ has become one of the strongest closers on the grounds, as he always seems to be flying in the second half of his races. Defending Champ went from sixth place to first to win his El Primero trial and from sixth to second in the El Primero final. He was fourth at the start of his Governor’s Cup Derby trial before winning the race by a neck.
“He got away from the gate solid, but he was still fourth there,” Willoughby said. “He really finished strong. He needed the race; it’s been quite a while since he had raced. I think this will set him well for the final. He was so big as a 2-year-old, and we tried to get him ready for the (Los Alamitos Two Million) after we had turned him out. It just didn’t quite work out. He was close. He’s turned into a monster 3-year-old. Those 400 yards have been difference for him.”
Bred by Steve Burns, Defending Champ is a gelding by Favorite Cartel and is out of the mare Eagle On The Fly. He’s a full brother to multiple stakes finalist Eye On the Sky. The field from the rail out is as follows: Personal Attack, Favorite Jesshawk, Call Her Perfect, Back At It, Party Time Tom, Up To Party, Walking Tool, Defending Champ, Its On You and Snow Bound.
