OH JERRY MAKES IT SIX IN A ROW; $423K JACKPOT PICK 6 WINNING TICKET PURCHASED AT LOS AL
It’s early in the chase for a top 10 starting spot for the $50,000 Stakes at 1,000 yards at Los Alamitos, but William Hedrick’s homebred Oh Jerry now has a clear lead in the point standings after scoring yet again at the Orange County oval.
The Oh Tanner gelding has won six consecutive races at Los Alamitos dating back to November 8 with two of those victories coming since the announcement of the $50,000 Stakes was made in early March. As a result of those wins, Oh Jerry has now amassed 19,775 points, one per each dollar earned in his last two winning outings. His last victory came on Sunday night, as he took the lead right from the start, opened up 1 ½ lengths ahead of Hot n’Famous and then continued strong to the wire to win by ¾ lengths over Rinse And Repeat. Ridden by Francisco Orduna Rojas for trainer Adriana Vallejo, Oh Jerry is now 8,000 points ahead of Lucky Daughter, who is currently second in the standings.
Of course, there is a long way to go before the November 27 1,000-yard final, but so far there has been no stopping Oh Jerry.
“The horse’s temperament is great, and he’s made for this track,” Vallejo said. “He just loves racing here. He’s a great horse.”
“He likes running over this track, he really does,” Orduna Rojas said. “The more opportunities I’ve had to ride him, the more I truly love him.”
The connections are now starting to dream about the $50,000 Stakes.
“That’s our hope, to be here in November for that final,” Vallejo continued. “One step at a time and hopefully we’ll be there.”
**
There were two juvenile events on Sunday evening resulting in a pair of convincing winners. The first of the races went to Robyn Gordon, Juan Humberto Moya and S-Quarter K LLC’s Dasha Good Reason, a Washington-bred colt by Good Reason SA and out of Dasha Freda. The S-Quarter K-bred runner is a half-brother to 2015 AQHA World Champion Heza Dasha Fire, who won the Champion of Champions and his earnings of $2,240,115 is the most earned by a horse at Los Alamitos. Dasha Freda is also the mother of AQHA champion Ima Fearless Hero, a gelding by Valiant Hero and the winner of the 2015 Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity.
Ridden by Jesus Rios Ayala for trainer Jose Flores, Dasha Good Reason bumped at the start but then took off to easily win his debut by 1 ½ lengths. His time of :15.982 was a not world-beating time, but his final 220 yards clocked in :09.87, which is second only behind Woman Secret’s final fraction of :09.81 on April 3.
Once again, previous racing experience proved to be a difference maker in the other juvenile event, as Ed Allred’s Budget Buster won in her second start, holding off Kent Kleinknecht by a neck while in a 220-yard time of :12.227. The Kiddy Up filly came into this race after running third in her debut back on April 3. Rios Ayala rode the winner for trainer Scott Willoughby.
-30-