FANS ENJOY FOUR DEBUT JUVENILE WINNERS ON FRIDAY NIGHT
On a night in which fans were back on-track to enjoy the live racing action for the first time in more than a year at Los Alamitos, Double Bar S Ranch’s homebred Commander Cartel won the first 300-yard race of the meet for 2-year-olds after leaving the gate quickly and then pulling away late on Friday night.
Ridden by Ramon Sanchez for trainer Paul Jones, Commander Cartel was also the first of two juvenile winners on the night for Sanchez and Jones on Friday night. He was also one of two winners sired by the legendary stallion Corona Cartel this evening. The Oklahoma-bred colt is out of the $200,000 winner Scoop Of Sunshine. Commander Cartel covered the distance in :16.052.
“I trained his mother, Scoop Of Sunshine,” Jones said. “She was a Governor’s Cup Derby winner and won a couple of hundred thousand. She was a really nice racing mare. Commander Cartel is just a big looking colt. We really like him. Double Bar S raised him and it’s nice to keep them going in the business. They’ve been in the business for a long time. It’s fun to get them in the winner’s circle. He’s in the Kindergarten trials so that’s where we’ll point him next.”
Approximately 30 minutes later, Jones and Sanchez were back in the winner’s circle after teaming up to win a 220-yard dash for juveniles with the Powerhouse, a gelding by first-year Thoroughbred sire Power Jam.
“Powerhouse was the first baby born by Power Jam, the first starter for Power Jam, and now his first winner,” the trainer added. “I have two other babies by Power Jam. One of them is a Thoroughbred filly and the other one is a half-brother to Strawkins and all those great horses out of the great broodmare Shirleys Strawfly. We’ll start him next week. He’s got a lot of run, but he still needs to fill out. Power Jam looks like a stocky, strong, Quarter Horse, while this other Power Jam is built more like a Thoroughbred. He’ll be good, but he just needs to fill out more and mature a little bit.”
Powerhouse, who was 12-1 on the toteboard, won the 220-yard race by a head in a time of :12.236.
Link Newcomb’s Valente One, a gelding by Corona Cartel, was the next juvenile winner of the evening and he did so in strong fashion, closing powerfully to outduel the Jones-trainee Jess Hez On Fire. Both Valente One and Jess Hez On Fire are from the same female family of A Special Smith, Sassy Smith, Jess Send Me and in Valente One’s case, his dam Lady Perry On Fire. Jess Hez On Fire is out of the tremendous mare Jess Send Me, who earned over $360,000 in her racing career and later produced Jess Macho Corona, who is a winner of more than $670,000.
Purchased for $60,000 Ruidoso Yearling Sale, Valente One was ridden to victory by Armando Viramontes for trainer Juan Aleman, a jockey/trainer combo that is expected to join forces on a regular basis in the upcoming months. They are off to a good start together, as Valente One won by a half-length and covered the 220 yards in :12.156, which is the second fastest time by a 2-year-old at this distance this season.
“He’s the Corona Cartel I’ve been wanting for 20 years that I finally got him,” Newcomb said. “He showed exactly what Corona Cartels are made to do at this time of the year. I couldn’t be happier.”
A newly elected Pacific Coast Quarter Horse Racing Association Board Member, Newcomb has a lot of experience holding C-level executive positions at major corporations. Newcomb is looking forward to being a part of the PCQHRA at the board level.
“I think for the most part in the beginning I need to learn and maybe some of the things I’ve done and been a success in business can be applied here as well,” he said. “We have plenty of challenges and plenty of opportunities.”
Ed Allred and trainer Scott Willoughby wrapped up the list of juvenile winners on the night after the Kiddy Up filly Hitters Count won the sixth race at 220 yards. Oscar Andrade Jr. piloted Hitters Count, whose dam in the A Regal Choice mare What A Hit.
“She’s done everything right,” Willoughby said. “She stood in the gate perfect and ran a great race. She’s finished in her (gate) work really well. I was happy with how well she finished tonight.”
Hitters Count won her debut by a half-length in a time of :12.211.
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Ten races are on tap this Saturday night, including three more races for 2-year-olds. Racing fans looking to attend the live action on track can purchase tickets online at LosAlamitos.com. The direct link to the ticket site is RACE TRACK PROMO (losalamitos.com).
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