LOS ALAMITOS, CA—APRIL 19, 2019—Owned and bred by J. Francisco Diaz and trained by his son, Lindolfo, the Favorite Cartel gelding Chayito Cartel finished as the star of the night from the five races for 2-year-olds contested at Los Alamitos Race Course on Friday night.

Ridden by Jesus Rios Ayala from post five, Chayito Cartel outdueled Ron Hartley’s highly-regarded gelding Chickititas Favorite by a nose to win the seventh of eight races on the card. The bay gelding covered the 300-yard distance in :15.590, which was the fastest time from the 35 juveniles that competed in the five races on Friday.

Chayito Cartel led every step of the way even though he drifted out at the start. Diaz campaigned Chayito Cartel’s dam Runnin In Traffic, an allowance winner at Los Alamitos and a finalist for the 2013 John Deere California Juvenile Challenge and 2014 PCQHRA Breeders Derby.

Chickititas Favorite, also sired by Favorite Cartel, finished with a time of :15.597, which was the second fastest of the night for a 2-year-old. Cruz Mendez piloted him for trainer John Cooper.

Hartley’s Cartel Jess Rockin was the second fastest winner of the night after covering the distance in :15.735 in the evening’s third race, which was the first for 2-year-olds on the night. Eddie Garcia piloted the Cooper-trained Favorite Cartel filly, who is out of Grade 1 stakes winning mare Feature Jess Rockin, to a 1 ½ length victory on Friday. Owned by Reed Land & Cattle and Levings Racing, Cartel Jess Rockin is eligible to the Robert Adair Kindergarten Futurity trials on Sunday, May 5.

Trained by Juan Aleman for J. Garvan Kelly, the Kiddy Up filly Kid Around won her racing debut by a length in a time of :15.790. Carlos Huerta piloted the Ed Allred-bred filly, who will likely make her next start in the Kindergarten Trials in two weeks. Kid Around is out of Checkachick, who is from the family stakes winner Hard Hitting, Hot Hitter and Lassen County.

Allred’s Favorite Cartel colt Nomadic and Double Bar S Ranch LLC’s Corona Cartel filly, Scoop There It Is also posted victories on Friday night. Vinnie Bednar guided the Scott Willoughby-trained Nomadic to a half-length victory in :15.801, while the Paul Jones-trained Scoop There It Is covered the distance in :15.925. Nomadic and Scoop There Is are both eligible to run in the May 5 trials.

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Courtesy of www.losalamitos.com.