Graded 1 winner Political Rivalry will head the Grade 2, $204,200 El Primero Del Año Derby on Sunday night at Los Alamitos.

© William Zuazo

LOS ALAMITOS, CA–MARCH 22, 2024–Keith Nellesen’s Political Rivalry will look to match his sire’s trifecta of stakes victories when he leads a field of 10 sophomores in the Grade 2, $204,200 El Primero Del Año Derby on Sunday night at Los Alamitos.

Political Rivalry is the son of AQHA champion KVN Corona, who won the Grade 1 Ed Burke Million Futurity, Grade 2 PCQHRA Breeders Futurity and the El Primero while winning each of his first nine career starts. Political Rivalry has won seven of his first eight outings while collecting stakes wins in the Ed Burke and PCQHRA Breeders Futurity.

Named California’s top 2-year-old gelding last year, the McColee Land & Livestock-bred runner is the 9-5 favorite in the El Primero. To be ridden by Jose Nicasio for trainer Heath Taylor, Political Rivalry will start from post number seven in this 400-yard race. He’ll enter the final after scoring one of his most dominant victories when posting a 1 ½ length trail win while setting the fastest qualifying time for this race.

Jorge Carmona’s Five Bar Supreme is another top-level win machine. The winner of the Firecracker Futurity at Grants Pass and the Wild West Futurity at Los Alamitos, the son of champion Five Bar Cartel enters having won seven of his 10 career starts. He was a winner in his trial to the El Primero and was the runner-up in last year’s Grade 1 Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity, California’s richest Quarter Horse race. Lindolfo Diaz will saddle Five Bar Supreme, who’ll start from post number one.

He also started from the rail here when winning the Wild West and when finishing second in the Two Million. Top rider Jesus Rios Ayala will be aboard the Ugo De La Torre-bred runner.

Dunn Ranch’s SC Time To Run, a $335,000 purchase at the 2022 Ruidoso Sale, will start from post number two while looking to post his third win in a row at Los Alamitos. The Apollitical Jess gelding is out of the champion Spit Curl Diva.

He was the second fastest qualifier in the derby trials after posting a 1 ¼ length win. Bred by Reliance Ranches, SC Time To Run posted his maiden win here in early February and was second in the Los Alamitos Juvenile Invitational last December. His sire was the 2010 AQHA World Champion.

The complete field in post-position order is:

1. Five Bar Supreme
2. SC Time To Run
3. Xpensive
4. Favorite Nuke
5. Boardwalk
6. Remember John
7. Political Rivalry
8. Kevins Wise Coron
9. AJ Top Secret
10. Kickin Famous

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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 www.losalamitos.com.