Fastest qualifier Casique Corona, the accomplished He Storms and All American Derby finalist In Dispute are among the stars that will compete in the richest running ever of the PCQHRA Breeders Derby Friday at Los Alamitos.

            The Grade 2 400-yard final will feature a $159,000 purse and will be contested as the ninth race of the 10-race program. Casique Corona, He Storms and In Dispute all come out of the same trial and enter as the first, second and sixth fastest qualifiers, respectively. Casique Corona will look to give EG High Desert Farms its second win in this stakes race following Hawkish's triumph here in 2004.

            Bred by Vinewood Farms, Casique Corona is a gelding by Corona Cartel and the older half-brother of 2-year-old winner Prospectors Way. Casique Corona has been a handful all season, winning three races while finishing out of the money just once in eight starts. In addition to his 1/2-length win over He Storms in the trials, Casique Corona also had a victorious sail in the Ocean Runaway Handicap as well as in a 350-yard allowance in March. Rodrigo Aceves will ride for trainer Adan Farias.

            Ed Allred's He Storms could be sitting on a monster race for this final, as his solid runner-up trial performance was his first start since the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Winter Derby on February 24. Trained by Scott Willoughby, the Separatist gelding out of the Ed Burke Memorial Futurity winning mare Mega Storm ran fifth to Value The Man, Higher Fire and Finding Nemo in last year's Los Alamitos Million Futurity.

            Jose Santos' In Dispute will start from the rail in his second start back at Los Alamitos after a three-race campaign at Ruidoso Downs. After racing in the 440-yard All American two outings ago this Walk Thru Fire colt should be flying late in this race. The key for In Dispute will be whether he can stay within a half-length of quick breakers like Imdashndown, Ah Commotion and Soul Of Silence. If In Dispute can keep up with them, he will be a major force during the second half of this race.

            Trainer Paul Jones, who has won this race twice before, will saddle In Dispute as well as Breeders trial winner Redwood Creek. Benny Rosset, who won the All American Futurity with No Secrets Here along with co-owners Vessels Stallion Farm, campaigns Redwood Creek. Rosset is the president of the Sao Paulo Jockey Club and is one of the strongest supporters of Quarter Horse racing in Brazil. Rosset currently stands Splash Bac and Jess Louisiana Blue. Redwood Creek was fourth in the Grade 1 Golden State Derby two races ago and also competed in the El Primero Del Ano Derby earlier this year. He has hit the board in six of nine starts this season.

        Dutch Masters III's Imdashndown has been one of the surprise packages this season after winning his trials to the Governor's Cup and PCQHRA Breeders derbies. Imdashndown, who won just one five starts last year, ran seventh in his stakes debut in the Governor's Cup but he should benefit from the experience of racing at the stakes.J.R. Ramirez will ride the Blane Schvaneveldt-bred runner for trainer Jaime Gomez.       

            Red-hot trainer Pat Visscher, who is winning at an impressive 30% clip this season, will saddle Grade 3 Vandy's Flash Handicap winner Soul Of Silence from post nine. Soul Of Silence, a gelding by Separatist out of the Grade 1 derby winning mare Royal Dip, has great quickness out of the gate, plus his victory in the Vandy's Flash came at 400 yards.

            Trainer Connie Hall will send out Los Alamitos Million Futurity finalist Cut The Snow and first-time stakes finalist Ah Commotion. The latter is a full brother to 2000 World Champion A Ransom. Dragon Night, who ran third to multiple stakes winner Adriannas Dasher in the Dillingham Handicap on March 18, and maiden Jts Cash Profit will complete the field.

                                       BREEDERS DERBY NOTES

             Seven stallions are represented in this year's PCQHRA Breeders Derby. Jts Cash Profit, Imdashndown and Ah Commotion represent all-time leading stallion First Down Dash, while Separatist is the sire of He Storms and Soul Of Silence. Other stallions represented are Corona Cartel (Casique Corona), Feature Mr Jess (Redwood Creek), This Snow Is Royal (Cut The Snow), Walk Thru Fire (In Dispute) and Corona Czech (Dragon Night)&. Jockey Eddie Aceves will ride Dragon Night from post 10 in this race. Aceves, whose promising career has been marred by several injuries, will be aboard a derby contender for the first time since qualifying Panther Mountain to the Los Alamitos Winter Derby in 2002. Aceves suffered a shoulder injury shortly after that race and was unable to ride in the final. Ramon Sanchez picked up the mount on Panther Mountain and the two went on to win the Winter Derby&. Trainer Paul Jones won the Breeders Derby with Hitarun in 1998 and with Stel Corona in 2003. Hitarun's victory came in what was at the time the richest running ever of the Breeders Derby with a purse of $130,000& Muller Racing LLC and trainer Denny Ekins combined to win the Breeders Derby with Ocean Runaway last year. This year, the maiden Jts Cash Profit will represent them this year& Pazazz Quarterhorses Ltd won the 1996 Breeders Derby with Air Beduino. Connie Hall, who trains Cut The Snow and Ah Commotion, saddled Air Beduino to victory.

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