LOS ALAMITOS, CA—OCTOBER 19, 2017—California derby winners That Rico, Kiddy Up Cowgirl, Evil Genius, and Start Somethin Bad will be joined by All American Derby finalists Elicity and One Sweet Racy and major 2016 stakes winner Chazaq and Lotta Blues Man in an outstanding night of trials to the Grade 1, $921,500 Los Alamitos Super Derby on Saturday. Five trials will be contested as part of the nine-race program with first post set for 6 p.m.

Forty sophomores will be part of the 400-yard Super Derby trials on Saturday with the horses with the 10 fastest times advancing to the rich final to be held on November 12. The Super Derby winner will earn a berth to the Grade 1, $750,000 Champion of Champions to be held here on December 16.

The final trial of the night is among the most exciting, as it will feature Grade 2 Golden State Derby winner That Rico, Grade 1 Golden State Million Futurity winner Lotta Blues Man, and All American Derby runner-up One Sweet Racy. Owned by Paul Jones and Thompson Racing, That Rico enters this trial after winning four consecutive starts. His winning streak includes the Independence Day Handicap on July 1 and the Old Habits Handicap on September 23. The gelding by Carters Cartel also won the Golden State by a half-length two months ago. Jesus Rios Ayala will ride the red-hot That Rico.

Johnny Trotter’s One Sweet Racy was second to Hold Air Hostage in the All American Derby and most recently 350 yards in a solid :17.90 here on October 3. Bred by Gary Hall's Sunflower Supply Company, One Sweet Racy is a half-sister of Trotter's 2011 Los Alamitos Super Derby winner and AQHA champion filly Miss Racy Jess. One Sweet Racy' is also a half-sister to noted California-based stallion Kiddy Up and six-figure earners Miss Racy Eyes ($133,195) and Vikes Iota ($103,709). Their dam, Miss Racy Vike, won 10 of 31 career starts and earned $263,661. She was a stakes winner at Los Alamitos and in Texas. Rodrigo Aceves will ride One Sweet Racy for trainer Jaime Gomez.

Lucky Seven Ranch’s Lotta Blues Man won five of seven starts in 2016, but has just one win from four outings this season. He’ll be looking for an improved effort in trial number five after a difficult trip resulted in an out-of-the-money finish in the Golden State Derby final. Esgar Ramirez picks up this mount for trainer Mike Casselman.

The first Super Derby trial of the night will feature an encounter between 2016 Ed Burke Million Futurity winner Chazaq and Golden State Million runner-up Tarzanito. Trained by Yanet Rodriguez for A1A Racing LLC, Tarzanito will be making only his second start of the year. He made his sophomore debut with a solid come-from-behind victory in the Sgt Pepper Feature Handicap on September 2. Eddie Garcia, this track’s all-time leading Quarter Horse rider, will be aboard the Favorite Cartel colt.

Dutch Masters III’s Chazaq will be making his fifth outing of the year. He began the season with a pair of awesome looking wins, but then he finished behind That Rico in both the Golden State and Old Habits. Chazaq has finished in the top two in 10 of 11 career starts. Gomez will saddle the Corona Cartel gelding. Veronica Worth’s Look At Her, the runner-up in the Golden State Derby, will also compete in this trial.

Rancho El Cabresto’s Mr Apollitical Dash, the third-place finisher in the Old Habits, will headline the wide-open second Super Derby trial of the night. He’ll be facing a field that includes multiple Grade 1 finalist Katella Deli and Racy High Roller, the winner of the PCQHRA Breeders Futurity last year.

The third Super Derby trial is among the strongest with the likes of Renewed, Kissed By An Eagle, Elicity, and Cartel Sixes among the prominent names in action. Kolleen Ledgerwood’s Renewed enters this race in sharp form after posting the fastest qualifying time to the PCQHRA Breeders Derby before running second to Kiddy Up Cowgirl in the final. Renewed also won his trial to the Governor’s Cup Derby before a rough trip led to him being disqualified from fifth place and placed in ninth. Renewed will have a chance to score his third derby trial win of the season when he starts from post seven in the third trial division.

Mark and Peggy Brown’s Kissed By An Eagle, fourth in the Golden State Derby, and Papas Place LLC’s Elicity, sixth in the rich All American Derby, are two other headliners in this trial. Bred by Robert Williams, Elicity was an allowance winner at Los Alamitos earlier this year before winning the Corona Cartel Derby Consolation at Ruidoso Downs in July and then qualifying to the All American Derby finale. Juan Aleman will saddle Elicity, a filly by World Champion Apollitical Jess and out of the Grade 1 stakes winning champion Flame N Flash.

The fourth Super Derby trial will be headed by a trio of derby winners in Kiddy Up Cowgirl, Evil Genius, and Star Somethin Bad. Leah and David Nelson’s Kiddy Up Cowgirl won the PCQHRA Breeders Derby at 16-1 odds, while Evil Genius won the Governor’s Cup Derby at 14-1 odds. Start Somethin Bad was a longshot player’s dream in the La Primera Del Ano Derby, as she came out on top at 10-1 odds on April 1. Another horse to watch in this trial is Darling Farms and Gomez’s LD Is Back, who had a very troubled journey in the PCQHRA Breeders Derby final when he lost his running lane early on before flying like a freightrain late to finish in fourth place. The gelding by Walk Thru Fire won the Jens List Memorial Stakes on July 29.

Courtesy of www.losalamitos.com.