Fastest qualifier Bomb Cyclone will face of the toughest fields in recent history in Quarter Horse racing’s richest derby of 2022, the G1, $982,050 Los Alamitos Super Derby on Sunday at Los Alamitos.

© William Zuazo

LOS ALAMITOS, CA—NOVEMBER 4, 2022–Quarter Horse racing’s richest derby of 2022, the Grade 1, $982,050 Los Alamitos Super Derby, will feature a tremendous lineup headed by four Grade 1 winners in the 400-yard race on Sunday at Los Alamitos.

The field for the Super Derby will feature a who’s who in the current sophomore division. It’ll be led by fastest qualifier and Grade 1 Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity winner Bomb Cyclone, Grade 1 All American Derby and Rainbow Derby winner A Pollitical Candy V,  Grade 1 Ed Burke Million Futurity and Grade 2 El Primero Del Año Derby winner Golden Boi, and Grade 1 Los Alamitos Winter Derby and Grade 2 Golden State Derby winner Scoops Dynasty.

Edward and Von Zae McNelis’ Scoops Dynasty and M&G Farms’ AQHA champion Golden Boi have combined to go a perfect 10 for 10 this season, while Rosenthal Ranch’s Bomb Cyclone in undefeated in three career starts at Los Alamitos.

Owned by Valeriano Racing Stables, A Pollitical Candy V won five out of six starts during a tremendous stay at Ruidoso Downs this summer led by his two Grade 1 derby wins and at Los Alamitos he was second to Scoops Dynasty in the Winter Derby.

The Super Derby will also feature the best overall cast of colts facing each other in a race this year. Seven of the 10 horses in the field are colts led by Golden Boi and Bobby Cox’s 2021 Dash For Cash Futurity winner Inspyre, a half-brother to 2020 World Champion Whistle Stop Cafe

The other colts in the race are 2021 Ruidoso Futurity runner-up Jess Fire Me, Winter Derby third place Corona Yo, multiple Grade 1 futurity placed runner In Hott Pursuit, Two Million Futurity fourth place Dasha Good Reason, and Jess Hez On Fire, who has finished first or second in 10 of his 14 career starts. This field has combined to earn $3,568,265 while winning 48 of 111 career starts. 

To be ridden by Eduardo Nicasio for trainer Chris O’Dell, Bomb Cyclone will start from post number one. The gelding by Favorite Cartel was unstoppable from that starting spot last year, winning his Two Million trial by four lengths and the final by two lengths.

He returned to Southern California for the Super Derby trials, winning his division by three lengths in route to the fastest time at 400 yards of :19.36. Bomb Cyclone, a full brother to a well-known list of a Grade 1 winner led by the millionaire Powerful Favorite, is the 9-5 favorite in this race. Bred by Steve Burns, Bomb Cyclone has won five of eight career starts.

Starting next to him will be the Heath Taylor-trainee A Pollitical Candy V, who won the $809,000 All American Derby by 1 ¾ lengths on September 4. The Apollitical Jess gelding is the nation’s third leading money winner and is looking for his 10th career victory in 20 starts. Juan Pulido will ride the Randy and Stacy Hill-bred runner. Ed Burgart has made him the third choice in his morning line at 7-2 odds. He bore out badly in the trials when running second to winner Corona Yo.

An Idaho homebred, the FDD Dynasty gelding Scoops Dynasty has gone a perfect six for six in 2022, making him the first Quarter Horse with at least six wins in a single season at Los Alamitos since Powerful Favorite in 2019. Since 2010, only 21 horses have won six or more races during a meet at Los Alamitos.

In addition to the Winter Derby and Golden State Derby, Scoops Dynasty also won the Adequan Derby Challenge here on May 22. Armando Cervantes will ride the Monty Arrossa trainee from post three. Scoops Dynasty drifted in and bumped during his start before making a big late move to win his trial by a head. He’ll be looking to take advantage of his early quickness to keep up early with the likes of the talented Bomb Cyclone, Golden Boi and others.

Moving to the outside post nine, the Valentin Zamudio-trained Golden Boi has won all four his outings this year after winning four of six during his juvenile campaign. He defeated Grade 1 winner Whizkey Glasses in the El Primero this spring and then scored in the Sgt Feature Handicap on August 27 before taking his Super Derby trials by 1 ½ lengths on October 16. His time of :19.58 was the second fastest behind only Bomb Cyclone’s top clocking. Golden Boi is the morning line’s second choice at 5-2. 

Other trial winners racing in the Super Derby final are S&S Horses’ Corona Yo, who upset A Pollitical Candy V in their trial meeting, and Connie Nutt and Turner Farms’ Jess Hez On Fire, who enjoyed his biggest win when outdueling the Grade 1 stakes placed runner Jess Fire Me in their heat.

The field from the rail out is as follows: Bomb Cyclone, A Pollitical Cadny V, Scoops Dynasty, Inspyre, Jess Fire Me, Corona Yo, In Hott Pursuit, Jess Hez On Fire, Golden Boi, Dasha Good Reason. 

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For more info, please contact larace@losalamitos.com. Follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @losalracing or visit us online at losalamitos.com.