MRB Racing LLC’s Jest Famous was impressive in his Los Alamitos racing debut, as he cruised to a half-length victory in the $25,000 Town Policy Handicap at 400 yards on Saturday night.
Ridden by Cody Jensen for trainer Chris O’Dell, Jest Famous took a head lead a few strides out of the gate and never looked back. He was ahead of the field by a neck at the midway point and then sailed to his seventh career win from there. The son of Mr Jess Perry covered the distance in :19.690.
“We got him here and we had a few little problems that we had to work out with him here,” O’Dell began. “We started coming up with a plan and the owners are so great they just said to come up with a plan and do with him what you want to. I decided that instead of going for something like the Z. Wayne Griffin Directors Trials against older horses to try this race and get a win under his belt. It worked out. There’s another handicap (the First Down Dash Handicap on December 7) before the year is over and then maybe go in the Los Alamitos Winter Championship. The first step of the plan is complete. He’s a great horse. The owners are going to leave him here with me and let me run him some. He’s already proved to be a pretty good horse. After watching him tonight, I’m pretty pleased with him.”
The trials to the Grade 1 Brad McKinzie Los Alamitos Winter Championship in late January of 2020 will be the main focus for Jest Famous.
“That’s exactly where I want to go (with Jest Famous),” O’Dell said.
Jest Famous earned $13,750 for the win to take his career earnings to $370,263. He won the Grade 1 Southwest Juvenile Championship and finished third in the Grade 1 Ruidoso Futurity last year and was fourth in the Grade 1 All American Derby earlier this year.
Dee and Gary Hoovestal’s Bos Time Machine, a two-time stakes winner this year, ran second in this event. The gelding by Bodacious Dash earned $5,625 for running second under jockey Carlos Huerta for trainer Paul Jones. Vernon Harman and Robert Moudy III’s Eagles Fly Higher finished third. The son of One Famous Eagle was ridden by Vinnie Bednar for trainer Justin Joiner.
SC Money Maker, Jess Motions and Long Distance Call completed the field.
-30-