FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                       
                       APRIL 10, 2009

CONTACT LOS ALAMITOS PUBLICITY
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ROYAL PROCLAMATION SETS A STAKES RECORD IN EL PRIMERO DERBY

LOS ALAMITOS RACE COURSE, CYPRESS, CA....  J. Garvan Kelly
and Nancy Yearsley's Royal Proclamation is the latest Los
Alamitos Maiden Stakes winner to go on to win a graded stakes
race at the Cypress track after winning Friday's Grade 2
$192,300 El Primero Del Ano Derby in a stakes record time. 

A winner of the $141,750 Maiden Stakes on February 28, Royal
Proclamation held off Los Alamitos Winter Derby winner A
Tempting Dash by a head. The win helps Royal Proclamation
join a nice list of runners that includes champion Little Bit
Of Baja, LDS Dash For Dylan and A Mere Splash as Maiden
graduates to become graded stakes winners. Trained by Paul
Jones and ridden by Ramon Sanchez, Royal Proclamation posted
a stakes record clocking in the El Primero, covering the 400
yards in :19.475. Sired by A Regal Choice, Royal Proclamation
broke the record of :19.51 previously held by 2006 winner
Volcom. He also came into this race as the fastest qualifier
from the trials three weeks ago and he was sent off as the
4-1 third choice in the wagering.

"He's come a long way in the last six months," Jones said.
"Shins were his biggest problem as a 2-year-old but he's
matured into a nice runner and a great derby prospect."

"Charley Hunt had this horse as a 2-year-old and he thought
back then that he was special," Yearsley added.

Royal Proclamation's family history also called for him to
improve from his 2-year-old campaign to his 3-year-old
campaign added J. Garvan Kelly. "His mother was the same way
and so was his grandmother. They both got better with age.
His dam (Rule The Skies) won 440 yard stakes races in Iowa so
we always expected him to do well in the longer distances."

Royal Proclamation not only finished strongly in the derby
but he also put together his most professional effort in the
starting gate in the El Primero. "That was the best that he's
ever behaved in the gate," Jones said. "He was perfect in
there. I thought he would be a little antsy in there because
that's how he acted in the trials. He still ran a good race
in the trials but he did act up a little bit. We worked a
little harder schooling him between races."

"I saw him the other morning when Ramon was working with him
in the gate," Kelly said. "After they got done, Ramon looked
like he had swallowed the lion. He was grinning from ear to
ear. He was thrilled with the way that he had behaved."

"And Ramon gave us a wink before the race," Yearsley added
with a smile.

Royal Proclamation was not Rule The Skies' only winner of
the night. His 3/4-sister named Back To The Wall, a
2-year-old filly sired by Royal Quick Dash, won the second
race at Remington Park with a 330-yard winning time of
:16.74. 

"We sold her for $15,000," said Kelly while shaking his
head. "We gave her away for $15,000." 

Horse racing is a game of give and take. On the night of El
Primero, it was Kelly and Yearsley's turn to take home the
crystal trophy, just like they had done in 2005 with multiple
stakes winner Dutch Schultz.

"We're excited about Royal Proclamation," Kelly continued.
"He's in the Rainbow Derby, All American Derby and Los
Alamitos Super Derby." 

Royal Proclamation also gave his trainer his first victory
in the El Primero since Volcom's '06 victory. It was Jones'
fifth win overall in this race, having saddled every winner
from 2003 through '06, leaving him only one win shy of Blane
Schvaneveldt's record in this race. Jones was noticeably
under the weather as he stood in the winner's circle
answering the reporters' questions. Once done, Jones hurried
out of the golden enclosure.

 "I have to get out of this cold air," said Jones, marking
perhaps one of the few times that the indoors of the track
sounded like a better option for Paul than the winner's
circle after a stakes. "I think the traveling back and forth
from Remington Park to Los Alamitos caught up with me."

Something catching up with Jones, now that's something that
hasn't happen too often in this sport in recent years. Once
again the meet's leading current trainer at Los Alamitos, PJ
has also enjoyed five wins from his first 12 Quarter Horse
starters at Remington Park, including stakes wins with
Separate Bet and Snowbound Superstar.  

"In the Thoroughbred world trainers like D. Wayne Lukas, Bob
Baffert, Steve Asmussen and Todd Pletcher have barns at
multiple racetrack but that's not as common in Quarter Horse
racing," Jones said. "I'm fortunate to have great people at
Los Alamitos, Remington Park and Ruidoso Downs, including my
right hand man Roque Gonzalez here at Los Alamitos.

"During the first 10 years that I trained horses I was here
at the barn every single day. It was a lot of work but in
doing that I was able to build a great, great team," Jones
added. "I was able to show them how I wanted things to run in
the barn. I can't be at the barn here every single day
anymore because I'm at a couple of different tracks now but
fortunately my help knows the barn routine and how things
need to be done. We've been able to build a great team over
the year, from my assistants, grooms, horseshoers, vets, etc.
A lot of the people that are working for me right now have
been working for me for a long, long time. They've been loyal
and that's been a big part of our success. I couldn't do what
I do without their great help. I also have Ramon Sanchez who
is there every morning at the barn helping me with the
horses. It takes a great team effort and I'm lucky to have so
many great people working for me at Remington, Ruiodoso and
Los Alamitos."  

Royal Proclamation earned $80,766 for the win, which was his
fourth in seven career starts. His lifetime earnings now
stand at $148,986.

Ron and Denise VanAmburgh's A Tempting Dash lugged out badly
at the start but still came flying late to make things close
at the finish line. After coming up just short of Royal
Proclamation, A Tempting Dash earned a second play payout of
$32,691. He was the second choice in the wagering only behind
even money favorite Hawk On The Fly.

"He will probably get a break now," trainer Jaime Gomez said
of A Tempting Dash. "He's run six tough races in a row now,
going back to the trials to the Los Alamitos Two Million
Futurity. He's in some of the top derbies later this year, so
that's what we will aim for. We'll send him to rest, swim him
a little bit and then bring him back. He's a good horse. We
have no excuse other than the fact that he made a mistake by
lugging out. The horse that beat us ran a perfect race and we
got into a little bit of trouble. We have no excuse. It was a
great race."

EG High Desert Farms' Jimmy Delivers earned $23,076 for
third place. The Jones-trained Hes Regal ran a solid fourth
to earn $13,461. Hard Hitting, Show Me A Beduino, Hawk On The
Fly, Beastly King, The Stylish Side and Genuine Oaktree
completed the field.

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