Jorge Carmona’s Ladys A Cartel stumbled at the start but quickly recovered to take the lead on the way to winning the $15,000 Champagne Lane Handicap on Friday at Los Alamitos.

            Making her first start since running in the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Winter Derby on February 9, Ladys A Cartel got stronger as the race went longer, crossing the wire ¾ lengths ahead of Janet McKinnerney’s Jess Motions to win the 350-yard dash. Ridden by Ruben Lozano for trainer Danny Montes, Ladys A Cartel covered the distance in :17.702. Bred by A Regal Choice, Inc., the filly by Five Bar Cartel was picking up her first ever win at Los Alamitos and first since taking the Pot O’ Gold Futurity at Sun Downs in May of 2018.

            Ladys A Cartel, a daughter of  has performed well in previous starts at Los Alamitos. She qualified to the Wild West Futurity last year and was fifth in the Los Alamitos Invitational Stakes here on December 16. She then finished third in her Winter Derby trial before running sixth in the final to the outstanding Powerful Favorite. Ladys A Cartel has now won three of 10 career starts. She earned $8,250 for the win to the take her career earnings to $43,607. Carmona campaigned the Grade 1 winning champion Five Bar Cartel, so for the owner this was a victory to remember.

            Ridden by Erasmo Gasca for trainer Jose Flores, Jess Motions earned $3,375. She came into this race after running in both the Grade 2 Golden State Derby and Grade 3 La Primera Del Año Derby. Jess Motions finished fourth in the Golden State final.

            EG High Desert Farms’ Anas Image finished third and was followed across the wire by Striver, No Telling, and Easily Lethal.  

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