Racing


A Political Lady Dominates La Primera Del Ano Derby At Los Alamitos
A Political Lady, under jockey Eduardo Nicasio, drives to victory in the Grade 3, $183,800 La Primera Del Ano Derby on Friday at Los Alamitos.

© Scott Martinez
A Political Lady Dominates La Primera Del Ano Derby At Los Alamitos

LOS ALAMITOS, CA—MARCH 30, 2018— Parsons Ranch’s A Political Lady is now a perfect three for three in her sophomore campaign following a dominant performance in the Grade 3, $183,800 La Primera Del Ano Derby on Friday at Los Alamitos.

The Apollitical Jess filly was third after the break, but then took quick command and cruised to a 1 ¼ length victory over a solid field that also featured John Firth’s Hard Headed Chick and Lisa Anderson’s Moonie Blues.

Hard Headed Chick, who ran fourth in the PCQHRA Breeders Futurity to champion KVN Corona last year, was second across the wire in the La Primera.

Moonie Blue, the winner of the Wild West Futurity last year, finished third. A Political Lady covered the 400 yards in :19.716. Ridden by Eduardo Nicasio for trainer Chris O’Dell, A Political Lady has now posted three daylight victories in 2018. She scored an easy length victory in an allowance test in her first start of this year and then followed it with another length win in her La Primera trial.

La Prima Del Ano Derby winning owners Jay and Char Parsons. © Scott Martinez
She was too strong in the La Primera final, winning the race under a hand-ride from Nicasio as the 4-5 favorite. The Parsons Family Limited Partner-bred filly has been in top form pretty much her entire 12-race career. She won the $30,000 Los Alamitos Juvenile Invitational Stakes on December 17 and was third to J Fire Up in the Golden State Million Futurity in early November. A Political Lady has won five of 12 starts and has finished in the top three in 11 of those outings.

"A Political Lady ran huge," O’Dell said. "She’s very dependable. That’s four wins in a row so she’s proving herself. She’s always been good. She ran third in the Golden State Million. She’s a nice filly and one that we are sure glad to have in our barn. Every day we are more thankful to have her. It was nice that Jay and Char Parsons were here. I’ve been training for them for years and they don’t usually make it out to the track. They were out here tonight and to win a derby with them here was nice. It was very fulfilling.

She’s paid up to a few other derbies so we’ll start looking for the next one. Hopefully she can qualify and do some more good with her this year."

The Parsons have a tremendous history in Quarter Horse racing. Jay and Polly Parsons campaigned many outstanding horses like First Sovereign, the AQHA champion 2-year-old in 1998, and Mini Rock, the AQHA champion aged mare in 2005.

Jockey Eduardo Nicasio returns aboard La Primera Del Ano Derby winner A Political Lady Friday night at Los Alamitos Race Course. © Scott Martinez
Mini Rock even won the La Primera Del Ano Derby in 2002, the first of her seven stakes victories. Jay and Polly also campaigned 1978 El Primero Del Ano Derby winner Lantys Easy Jet, 1973 Golden State Futurity winner Lanty’s Jet, multiple stakes winner Miga Ja, and were the breeders of the great Sign Of Lanty, a three-time AQHA distance champion. Their children, Jay and Cindy, along with their respective spouses, Char and Brian Hatley, have continued the family’s outstanding Quarter Horse racing tradition.

"Jay’s folks were just amazing," Char Parsons said. "They started racing good running horses in the 1940s. We’ve been able to carry on a legacy, the four of us, the four family members, and First Sovereign was just something else. We really have to thank them for it."

La Primera Del Ano Derby winning trainer Chris O'Dell and jockey Edurado Nicasio. © Scott Martinez
The Parsons and Hatleys have since bred and raced the likes of A Political Lady and stablemate Terrific Temptation, who was seventh in the La Primera, plus other top stars such as multiple stakes winner Thermonuclear Energy.

Their past runners have also include two-time Grade 1 winner Terrific Energy, Governor’s Cup Futurity winner Phoebes Dynasty, and stakes winner Dynasty Energy. Their Terrific Energy is the mother of both Terrific Temptation and Thermonuclear Energy plus several other stakes caliber runners, while A Political Lady, a California-bred filly sired by Apollitical Jess, is out of the First Down Dash mare Another Wise Lady, whom the Parsons purchased from the Vessels Stallion Farm consignment at the Los Alamitos Equine Sale in 2007. A multiple stakes placed runner, Another Wise Lady qualified to the 2009 La Primera Del Ano Derby.

"We love A Political Lady," Char added. "She’s like her mother. She always runs like she should every time. She has a few sisters coming up that we’re excited about. Another Wise Lady has turned into a really good broodmare for us. A Political Lady is the fruit of that. We are (also) really lucky to own Terrific Energy with Cindy and Brian."

"It’s a family affair," Char added. "Brian found Terrific Energy and Another Wise Lady so the family has worked together that way."

"Cindy and Brian have a lot to do with the purchase of both of those mares," Jay Parsons added.

In describing the Parsons Ranch, Jay called it "a little 30 acre place in Sanger, California."


A Political Lady cruises to victory in the Grade 3 La Primera Del Ano Derby Friday at Los Alamitos Race Course.
© Scott Martinez
"But with way too many horses," he added with a smile.

The Parsons also stand Parsons Rock, a son of First Down Dash and out of Mini Rock, at their ranch. His son, Rockin Asteroid, will race in the El Primero Del Ano Derby on Saturday night.

"We don’t have a lot of mares that come to Parsons Rock, but the ones that have have been producing some winners," Char added. "We’re excited about that. He’s also a family horse. It’s very much a family thing. We’re really lucky."

A Political Lady earned $77,196 for the win to take her career earnings to $221,453. Terrific Temptation earned $7,352 for her seventh place finish. She’s earned $26,282.

Ridden by Cesar De Alba for trainer Lin Melton, Hard Headed Chick earned $31,246 for her runner-up effort. Bred by John Firth and Jeryl Hartley, the Hard Hitting filly broke on top and raced gamely throughout to hold off the Grade 1 stakes placed filly Moonie Blues for second place. Hard Headed Chick has earned $76,446 in her 12-race career.

Trained by Jaime Gomez and ridden by Jose Nicasio, Moonie Blues picked up a check for $22,056 for running third. In addition to winning the Wild West Futurity, the Freighttrain B filly was second in the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity and third in the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Winter Derby. She’s now earned $405,379 in her 12-race career.

Summertime Favorite finished fourth and was followed by Pick A Favorite, Splendid Cause, Terrific Temptation, Perfect Az Can Be, La Rusa, and Checkn Seis.

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The early Pick Four pool at Los Alamitos was $186,131, an all-time record for a Friday night and the 12th highest pool ever at the Orange County track. The previous record for a Friday of $168,857 was set last month on February 2.

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The racing community at Los Alamitos observed a moment of silence in memory of jockey Cesar Gomez prior to the first Quarter Horse race on Friday night. Gomez was killed in an airplane crash earlier this week. The sixth race on Friday night included the Ed Allred-owned Time To Leave and Light Of The Moon, a pair of fillies that Cesar piloted to victories at Los Alamitos. Cesar would have ridden Ditto Head in the El Primero Del Ano Derby here on Saturday night.

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Courtesy of www.losalamitos.com.