Fastest qualifier and multiple graded stakes winner Bp Cartel Policy will head a tough field in Sunday's $763,000 Los Alamitos Super Derby (G1) at Los Alamitos Race Course.

© William Zuazo

LOS ALAMITOS, CA–NOVEMBER 7, 2024–Multiple graded derby winner BP Cartel Policy and AQHA champion and millionaire Dark Nme will headline the biggest Quarter Derby on the West Coast as 10 top sophomores will face off in the running of the Grade 1, $763,000 Los Alamitos Super Derby on Sunday night.

On the line for these horses will be a presumptive berth to the prestigious Grade 1, $600,000 Champion of Champions a chance to face a field that could include 2022 AQHA World Champion Empressum plus Grade 1 winners London Toby, Jeriko, and Shakers No Secret.

BP Cartel Policy will enter the Super Derby as the fastest qualifier after winning his trial by 1 ¾ lengths and in an impressive time of :19.51. Owned and bred by Bill Price, the son of Favorite Cartel will be looking to win his third derby of the year after already winning the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Winter Derby and the Grade 2 Golden State Derby. BP Cartel Policy will enter the Super Derby with five wins from six starts in 2024.

The Monty Arrossa-trainee has been the dominant in all five of those victories, including his daylight score in his Super Derby trial. His winning time ended up being more than 2/10ths of a second faster than the next quickest qualifier, the unbeaten Stanley Cartel.

In his previous two stakes final, BP Cartel Policy has been razor sharp, winning the Winter Derby by ¾ lengths and the Golden State Derby by two lengths. In between derby wins, he won the Dillingham Handicap by 2 ½ lengths. Put it all together and BP Cartel Policy is among the best horses that the outstanding breeder Bill Price has owned.

Price has campaigned horses in California since Ima Ladys Alibi became a multiple Grade 1 winner here under the tutelage of Blane Schvaneveldt in 1992-93.

"I started way back when Blane was training for me," Price said. "I just kept coming back (here) I guess. I had (BP Cartel Policy) in the Ruidoso Sale and I bought him back."

The person bidding on BP Cartel Policy on behalf of Price asked him how much he should bid up to for the horse. Price responded with two convincing words: "Buy him."

"And that's what he did," Price said. "I just told him to buy. I didn't give him a number of when to stop. I thought he could (be a good one)."

Out of Price's Grade 3 Oklahoma Futurity winner CC Policy, BP Cartel Policy is a half-brother to the stakes winner and $107,000 earner BP Valiant Policy. BP Cartel Policy's family includes the stakes winner Southern Cartel, the Grade 1 winner Whizkey Glasses, and the Remington Park Championship winner Priceless Feature.

"He raises the best horses in the country," Arrossa said of Bill Price. "I hope he just keeps breeding those good ones. It's an honor to train for him."

Armando Cervantes will ride BP Cartel Policy from post number five.

Racing for TYKHE Racing and trained by Romeo Mireles, Dark Nme was the nation's top 2-year-old filly last year after winning the Restricted Grade 1 Remington Park Oklahoma Bred Futurity, the Grade 1 Rainbow Futurity, and the Grade 1 Texas Classic Futurity.

The daughter of Hes Relentless has earned $1,647,925 in her career and was a solid third to BP Cartel Policy in her Super Derby trial, which also marked her Los Alamitos debut.

Now with one start under the California stars, Dark Nme will look to be even better in his second local outing while taking on the top sophomores in California. Bred by L Hendrix Horses LLC, Dark Nme is out of the Spit Curl Jess mare  Quions, who had a modest racing career but comes from the great Stanley Family breeding stock. Francisco Calderon will ride Dark Nme from post number eight.

The Stanley Family will also be represented by Super Derby starter of their own in the homebred colt Stanley Cartel. The of Pyc Paint Your Wagon was bred and is co-owned by Weetona Stanley, who now partners on the ownership of Stanley Cartel with Dunn Ranch.

The unbeaten colt has enters this final having won all five of his career starts - his most impressive victory being his 1 ¾ length Super Derby trial win. The Oklahoma-bred also won the Sgt Pepper Feature Handicap and was a qualifier to the Grade 1 Ed Burke Million Futurity last year.

Arrossa will saddle the brother of the Grade 3 stakes winner Pyc Fun N Fancy. As with Quions' breeding, Stanley Cartel's family includes standouts like First Down Dash, First Prize Leesa, First Carolina, and many more that race back to First Prize Rose, the dam of the all-time great stallion First Down Dash. James Flores will be aboard Stanley Cartel, starting from post number six.

Ed Allred's homebred Boardwalk is another top contender in this race after winning his Super Derby trial by a neck. This will be the Favorite Cartel gelding's fourth derby final of the year.

"He's improved quite a bit the last six months," trainer Scott Willoughby said of Boardwalk. "He qualified to the Governor's Cup Derby and has just gotten better and better. He was a really nice 2-year-old but he's really coming into himself. We set him up for this race well and jockey (Gabriel Lara) is doing a fantastic job. He tries hard every trip and if he gets a good race, he does well."

Boardwalk is a full brother to graded stakes winners Monopolist, Sicario V and Frivolous and is from the family of Kiss My Hocks and Catchmeinyourdreams. Gabriel Lara will ride Boardwalk.

Allred also owns So Can I, who qualified to the Super Derby after running second to Stanley Cartel in the trials. The gelding by Separate Interest ran third in the California Breeders Freshman Stakes last year and he has maintained overall strong level of consistency. He's finished in the money in seven of his eight career starts, including wins in two of those outings. So Can I will start from post position number seven with Irving Lara in the irons.

Allred is also the breeder of two other Super Derby finalists in Lets Leave and Try Harder. Owned by Barron Racing and Empire Racing, Lets Leave won the Grade 1 Ruidoso Futurity and is out of the stakes winner Time To Leave. The Favorite Cartel colt is also from the family of champions Separatist and Way Maker.

Owned by Betzabe Murillo's Try Harder is a stakes placed runner and is also from the family of champions Separatist and Way Maker. He's also by leading stallion Favorite Cartel. Sergio Becerra, Jr. will ride Lets Leave from post three, while Cruz Mendez will pilot Try Harder from post number two.

Scott Bryant's Sonny Corona was part of the All American Derby field earlier this year and will now be in action in the Super Derby. The Chris O'Dell trainee is from the tremendous family of the dam Jess Sass Me and is from a family of champions that includes Jess Walking Thru and Sass Me Blue. He'll start from post number one with Eduardo Nicasio in the irons.

Dunn Ranch's AB Seis Corazones finished second to BP Cartel Policy in the opening trial, but his strong performance earned him the third fastest time of the night. The Monty Arrossa-trainee ran in the Grade 1 Heritage Place Futurity last year and now will start in the first derby final of his career. Jesus Rios Ayala gets the call of AB Seis Corazones, who'll start from post number nine.

RS Shere Khan will complete the field after a solid third place finish to Boardwalk in the trials. Owned by Shane Giles, the Tarzanito colt won for the first time two races ago and will now look to continue his good 2024 form. Adan Farias will saddle the Socorro Hurtado-bred runner.  Ricardo Ramirez will ride RS Shere Khan from the outside post number 10.

Here's the entire field from the rail out: Sonny Corona, Try Harder, Lets Leave, Boardwalk, BP Cartel Policy, Stanley Cartel, So Can I, Dark Nme, AB Seis Corazones, and RS Shere Khan.

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For more information, please contact larace@losalamitos.com. You can also follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @losalracing or visit us online at www.losalamitos.com.

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