Papas Place LLC and Cindy Williams’ Coronas Big Flash (photo) will look to continue the great legacy of the historically great broodmare Oh La Proud in Sunday’s Ed Burke Million Futurity. Trained by Juan Aleman and ridden by Armando Viramontes, Coronas Big Flash won her trial by a half-length while posting the seventh fastest qualifying time of he trials. The Corona Cartel gelding is out of AQHA champion Flame N Flash, who as a 3-year-old defeated aged mares to win the 2012 Mildred Vessels Memorial Handicap. Flame N Flash would then run second in the Grade 1 Champion of Champions while also winning the Grade 3 La Primera that year.
Flame N Flash’s dam is Oh La Proud, who also produced AQHA champions Hawkinson and Hawkish. When Flame N Flash won her AQHA title, Oh La Proud became the first dam with three champions. Oh La Proud’s outstanding family also includes stakes winners Pride Of Katella, Look Her Over, Rare Walker and Mister Katella. Look Her Over is the dam of He Looks Hot, the 2019 AQHA World Champion. Oh La Proud is the matriarch of one of Quarter Horse racing’s great families and Coronas Big Flash could be the latest standout from this championship pedigree.
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Reliance Ranches LLC’s SC Divas Cartel Man and Paul Jones, Thompson Racing and Turner Farms’ Jess Lyndes Reason finished in a dead heat for first in the sixth Ed Burke Million trial back on June 7. More importantly for both connections, the talented 2-year-olds covered the distance in :17.748, a time that was quick enough to earn them the 8th fastest qualifying time.
Ridden by Oscar Peinado for trainer Mike Robbins, SC Divas Cartel Man won the meet’s first race for 2-year-olds back on April 5. Sired by Corona Cartel, this was the gelding’s first start since his debut.
“We tried this year to get these horses started early,” said Robbins referring to his top 2-year-olds. “That gives you time if something goes wrong. If you have a little hitch here or there, you have time to fix it. It is worked out good so far. We gave him several works since his first start. He is a big lazy horse. He does not put much into his works. Fortunately, he saves when he is out here (for the races).”
Bred by Reliance Ranches, SC Divas Cartel Man is out of the AQHA champion mare Spit Curl Dia.
With Jairo Rangel up, Jess Lyndes Reason is a half-sister to Jess Macho Corona, the runner-up in the All American Derby last year. Jess Macho Corona was ran second in the Grade 1 Golden State Million Futurity and on Sunday qualified to the Grade 1 Vessesl Maturity at Los Alamitos. “She has always been one of my favorites,” said Jones of the Jess Lyndes Reason.
Undefeated in her two career starts, the filly by Good Reason SA is out of the top mare Jess Send Me, who earned $361,595 in her racing career. She finished second in the 2011 All American Futurity.