LOS ALAMITOS, CA—NOVEMBER 28, 2017—Katella Deli and Kissed By An Eagle, the second and third place finishers in the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Super Derby, are now among the big names competing in the trials to the Grade 2, $175,300 Southern California Derby on Friday at Los Alamitos.

Thirty-four sophomores will compete in the 400-yard trials with the horses with the 10 fastest times returning for the Southern California final on Friday, December 15.

Jaime Gomez has had a tremendous second half of 2017 and Katella Deli will look to keep the good times rolling for his trainer. Since July 1, Gomez has saddled the winners of the Governor’s Cup Futurity, Wild West Futurity, Golden State Million Futurity, and Los Alamitos Super Derby.

In the Super Derby, Gomez saddled the 1-2 finishers with Chazaq winning the rich derby and Katella Deli coming in second place. Owned by Dutch Masters III and Paul Blanchard, Katella Deli will start from post number one in the second of five derby trials on Friday. Jose Nicasio, who rode him in the Super Derby, will be aboard the Foose gelding.

In addition to his runner-up effort in the Super Derby, Katella Deli finished second in the Governor’s Cup Derby and has also competed in the Grade 3 El Primero Del Ano Derby and Grade 1 Los Alamitos Winter Derby. Paul Jones and Abigail Kawananakoa’s Evil Genius, the Governor’s Cup Derby winner, will also be in action in this trial.

The first derby trial will take place in the fourth race of the night and will feature a pair of talented geldings sired by One Famous Eagle. Mark and Peggy Brown’s Kissed By An Eagle is one of those big names in this race thanks to a nice campaign that has seen him in the winner’s circle after three of his five starts. He also ran third in the Super Derby and fourth in the Grade 2 Golden State Derby. He’ll start from post number five in this trial and will be ridden by Cesar De Alba for trainer Roman Figueroa. Kissed By An Eagle is a half-brother to Jess My Kiss, who qualified to the rich Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity last Sunday night.

Ron Hartley’s multiple stakes winner One Proud Eagle is the other notable runner sired by the multiple Grade 1 winning One Famous Eagle. Trained by John Cooper, One Proud Eagle won the Grade 3 Robert Adair Kindergarten Futurity, Adequan Juvenile Challenge and Holiday Handicap last year. He was third in the PCQHRA Breeders Derby in his most recent start. Ramon Sanchez will pilot the gray runner.

Other stakes winners in the trials include 2016 futurity winners Bannister and Racy High Roller. Bannister won the Wild West Futurity last year, while Racy High Roller was the top finisher in the PCQHRA Breeders Futurity. They’ll meet in the third Southern California trial. Renewed, the runner-up in this year’s PCQHRA Breeders Derby, and multiple Grade 1 finalist Cartel Sixes are among the stars in trial number four. Trained by Roberto Dominguez for Kolleen Ledgerwood, Renewed is a three-time derby finalist this year and the owner of the fastest time to the PCQHRA Breeders Derby. He finished sixth in the Super Derby in his most recent outing.

The final trial will be headed by Lucky Seven Ranch’s Lotta Blues Man, winner of the Grade 1 Golden State Million Futurity last year. The gelding by Favorite Cartel will enter his trial after winning the Town Policy Handicap by a 1 1/2 lengths. He’ll take on El Primero Del Ano Derby winner Stelfast and La Pacifica Handicap winner Staggering Stride in this race.

Courtesy of www.losalamitos.com.