Doodah Cartel Headlines El Primero Del Año Derby Trials at Los Alamitos.

© William Zuazo

By Orlando Gutierrez

CYPRESS, CA–MARCH 5, 2026– Thompson Racing, Paul Jones, and Alexis Andrade’s Doodah Cartel has been one of the standout stories of the young season at Los Alamitos, following a pair of terrific performances in the trials and final of the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Winter Derby.
The Thompson and Jones-bred son of Favorite Cartel won his Winter Derby trial with a "see-it-to-believe-it" victory; despite being knocked around early and forced to swerve to find running room, an amazing late surge earned him the win and the fastest qualifying time. In the Winter Derby final, Doodah Cartel put it all together, holding off Politician V to win the 400-yard classic in an emotional victory for his connections.
Named in honor of Debbie Thompson’s father, Bernie Erickson—who famously used "Doodah" as his go-to saying—the talented Grade 1-winning sprinter will now headline the trials for the Grade 2, $185,100 El Primero Del Año Derby this Sunday night.
A total of 20 horses will compete in the 400-yard trials, with the runners posting the 10 fastest times moving on to the final on Sunday, March 29. Doodah Cartel is the highest-profile sprinter in the field, boasting a resume that includes four wins, four appearances in graded stakes finals, and total earnings of $257,999. Henry Reynoso Lopez will be in the irons for trainer Paul Jones in the third of three trials at 400 yards.
“He’s such a special horse, but he’s more than special because of his name and because of the memory of Bernie,” Jones said.
Following the Winter Derby win, Terry Thompson noted that Doodah Cartel has rejuvenated his passion for the sport. “It’s amazing that one horse can bring you back into the industry full-fledged,” Thompson said. “Our partners have been great; Alexis and his family have been fantastic. It’s been since Favorite Cartel that we’ve won a Grade 1.”
Doodah Cartel now begins his quest to become a two-time graded derby winner in 2026.

Brother Ray looks for an upset in trial 3
Owned by the partnership of Steve Burns, Jose Antonio Flores, Gerardo Herrera, and Javier Alvarez Rodriguez, Brother Ray competed in major futurity finals last year and now takes aim at Doodah Cartel in the third El Primero trial. He enters this event after a recent gate work for trainer Jose Flores. Last year, Brother Ray finished a solid sixth in the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity and was a finalist in the Governor’s Cup.

The Return of El Dictator in Trial 2
The second El Primero trial will be headed by Travis and Wendy Saxton’s El Dictator, who makes his season debut after a fine juvenile season winning four of six starts, including the Ah Sigh Stakes and a pair of futurity trials. The son of Favorite Cartel ran a big race in the Governor’s Cup Futurity, finishing second to Mayor Humdinger while remaining in contention the entire way. The Jaime Gomez-bred runner is now under the care of trainer Juan Aleman and looks like the standout in the second heat.

A Highly Competitive Opening Trial
The opening trial looks highly competitive with graded stakes finalist Cowboy Country 123, recent trial winner More Of It, and newcomer Revolutionary V among the top names. Juan Moya and Steve Mickaelian’s Cowboy Country 123 won three races and finished in the money in six of nine starts last year. He was outstanding last summer, stringing together three consecutive victories and showing elite speed in the Grade 2 PCQHRA Breeders Futurity, where he ran fourth.
Among other top contenders in the opening trial, Valeriano Racing Stables’ Revolutionary V will be making his Los Alamitos debut after picking up wins in two of his three starts in 2025. One of those wins came in the trials to the All American Futurity when springing an upset at odds of 18-1. He enters his trial following a pair of turn and works.

Allred and Willoughby: A Full House in the Trials
Owner Ed Allred and trainer Scott Willoughby will bring a formidable group of five sprinters to the El Primero Del Año Derby trials, all sired by the prolific stallion Favorite Cartel:
More Of It: This gelding, out of the stakes-winning mare Up For It, made a successful sophomore debut on February 1, securing a hard-fought nose victory in a trial for the Los Alamitos Maiden Stakes. He will be in action in the opening heat.
Next Norco: A full brother to both Norco and Go North, Next Norco is looking to regain his early form. A winner of his Ed Burke Million Futurity trial and a Governor’s Cup Futurity finalist, he looks to bounce back after a string of sixth-place finishes and will join More Of It in the opening trial.
Warmly: A two-time winner last year, Warmly proved his competitive edge by finishing third in his trials for both the Los Alamitos Two Million and Golden State Million futurities. He enters off a sharp turn and work on January 16 and will look to topple El Dictator in the second trial.
Go North: A gray gelding out of the superb producer Moonlight Corona, he is a younger brother to Grade 1 Los Alamitos Super Derby winner Norco. Doodah Cartel is his main opposition in the final trial.
Tough To Catch: Completing the Allred group, this gelding enjoyed a maiden win on October 18. His dam, Tough To Figure, was a seven-time winner and three-time stakes winner who competed in nine graded stakes during her career. Tough To Catch will join Go North in looking to upset Doodah Cartel.

Other Notable Contenders
Other notable names in the trials include Newcomb Racing’s Cattail Coast and Oscar Parra’s Unmarked. Cattail Coast competed in the Ed Burke Million final last year and seeks a return to graded stakes action when he joins the fray against Doodah Cartel in the final heat.
Unmarked won the Los Alamitos Claiming Futurity last August and was acquired by Parra as a $16,000 claim that night. This marks the first time since the Ed Burke Million trials that he will be running in a trial for a graded stakes. Francisco Rodriguez will saddle him in the second trial of the night.

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