LOS ALAMITOS, CA—JUNE 8, 2018— Parsons Ranch’s Favorite Wise Lady surprised trainer Chris O’Dell when she was unwilling to go in the starting gate prior to her career debut on Sunday night.

Once she was finally in the gate, the daughter of Favorite Cartel surprised O’Dell once again, this time bringing a big smile to her trainer, as he rallied back from a slow start to fly in between horses on the way to victory in a 300-yard time of :15.737.

"She didn’t want to load and that surprised me because she had never faltered in the gates before during the morning training," O’Dell said. "Maybe she got scared or maybe she just got mad. I was surprised to see her do that in her debut because she’s actually a real sweetheart and had never misbehaved in the gate during training. I was happy in the way she performed once she the race started because usually when a horse doesn’t want to load they do not run well at all."

Favorite Wise Lady broke fifth in the race, but then she responded to Cody Jensen’s encouragements.

"Once Cody got her going, she took off," O’Dell said. "She had a giant gallop out and now I think she could be one of our best 2-year-olds this year. She got sick earlier in the year and that put us out of contention with her to run in the Ed Burke Million Futurity trials (on Sunday). We just had a tough time getting her healthy and that got us behind. Once she got healthy I asked Cody if he could take her out in the mornings and he started galloping her. She was green, but he got her going. If she loads better, she’ll run a lot better. We’ll work on her in the next month to her improving her loading in the gates. She’s in the trials to the Governor’s Cup Futurity (on July 14) and I think we’ll be in good shape with her in the gates by then."

Favorite Wise Lady is a half-sister to multiple stakes winner A Political Lady, the winner of the Grade 3 La Primera Del Ano Derby and most recently the La Pacifica Handicap.

"They don’t look anything alike," O’Dell said of the fillies. "For one, Favorite Wise Lady is a really big filly with a big stride. She’s already about the same size as A Political Lady."

And of course, O’Dell would love nothing more to see Favorite Wise Lady develop into a star like her older sister, who could make her next start in the Ivan Ashment Handicap here on June 23.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Courtesy of www.losalamitos.com.