Racing


Sass Mo Blue Is Money In Los Alamitos Maiden Stakes Trials
Sass Mo Blue, under jockey Jesus Ayala, romps to victory in the final trial of the Los Alamitos Maiden Stakes Sunday night at Los Alamitos Race Course.

© Scott Martinez
Sass Mo Blue Is Money In Los Alamitos Maiden Stakes Trials

LOS ALAMITOS, CA—JANUARY 25, 2020—Lucky Seven Ranch’s Sass Mo Blue, second in a trial to the Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity in his last start, looked like a million bucks in his return outing, an impressive 1-¼ length victory in the last of five trials to the $109,500 Los Alamitos Maiden Stakes here on Sunday night.

Ridden by Jesus Rios Ayala for trainer Mike Casselman, Sass Mo Blue rocketed out of the gate and was never challenged from there on the way to posting the fastest qualifying time of :17.617.

The gelding by Apollitical Jess and out of Sass Me Blue was picking up his first win in five starts and will now headline the Maiden Stakes final on Sunday, February 16. Thirty-eight runners participated in the trials with the 10 horses with the fastest times advancing to the final.

Sent off as the 2-1 favorite, Sass Mo Blue came into this race having finished fourth or better in each of his previous four races. His second place finish in the Two Million trials came against multiple futurity finalist Cattail Cove. He also finished third to Royally Significant in the trial to the Golden State Million Futurity.

Sass Mo Blue’s dam, Sass Me Blue, is a graded stakes winner and 2016 AQHA champion aged mare. Sass Me Blue earned $296,378 and won the 2016 Grade 1 Mildred Vessels Memorial Handicap while also running second in the 2015 Grade 1 Los Alamitos Super Derby, Grade 1 Southern California Derby and 2016 Grade 1 Charger Bar Handicap. During her freshman campaign, Sass Me Blue won her trial to the Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity and also All American Futurity. Sass Me Blue’s female line traces to Sassy Smith, a two-time Grade 1 futurity winner at Los Alamitos in 2001.

Porfirio Carrasco’s Vegas Corona posted the second fastest qualifying of :17.704 after winning the fourth trial of the night. The colt by Corona Cartel won his trial by a head under the guidance of jockey Jose Nicasio for trainer Monty Arrossa. Vegas Corona had finished third in his local debut and prior to that had faced Grade 1 futurity finalist Kiss Thru Fire and Grade 2 Dash For Cash Futurity winner Chilitos in a 440-yard trial to the All American Futurity.

Arrossa also saddled opening trial winner Aint Working, who posted the third fastest time of :17.707. The Favorite Cartel gelding came into this race after running second in a maiden race. Bred by 2019 AQHA Breeder of the Year, Aint Working’s dam is Working Girl Blues, who is a full-sister to 2007 World Champion Blues Girl Too. Working Girl Blues and Blues Girl Too are both out of the great broodmare Run The Dash. Run The Dash is the mother of 2007 World Champion Blues Girl Too.

In addition to Vegas Corona, three other finalists came out of the fourth trial as Ed Allred’s Sounds Good finished with the fourth fastest time of :17.720, Ron Hartley’s Jespinky came in with the eighth fastest time of :17.802, and Felix Gonzalez’s Kates First Down had the ninth fastest time of :17.841.

Luke Lindsey’s Dance Dakota Dance, who finished second to Aint Working, finished with the fifth fastest qualifying time of :17.752. The Favorite Cartel gelding has hit the board in all four of his career starts.

Javier Rodriguez’s Black Jack MV won the second trial and finished with the sixth fastest clocking of :17.796 for trainer Jose Flores and jockey Cruz Mendez.

For the complete list of qualifiers to the Los Alamitos Maiden Stakes with times, sires, dams, owners, breeders, trainers and jockeys CLICK HERE.

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Courtesy of www.losalamitos.com.