DOC LAMB’S WIN IN A RANSOM COMPLETES GREAT MONTH FOR NICHOLS
It’s been a December to remember for owner Howard Nichols at Los Alamitos this season. The owner enjoyed an early present on the night of the Los Alamitos Two Million, as Jess Being A Friend ran second in a photo finish to the rich race at odds of 27-1.
Nichols, who earned $341,670 in the Two Million thanks to Jess Being A Friend, then had another joyful December moment on Saturday night when his talented runner Doc Lamb won the $25,000 A Ransom Handicap at 350 yards.
“It’s always fun but for the end of the year to be like this, that makes it a little more special,” Nichols said. “It’s been a nice December. We were lucky that Jess Being A Friend always runs with his head down because his nose saved us. I had to thank him for that.”
Doc Lamb, who ran in the Two Million last year, enjoyed his first win of the year in the A Ransom thanks to a slingshot of a start and then a strong finish even after lugging out in the late stages of the races. Bred by The Mixer Ranch, Doc Lamb won the race by two lengths over Town Policy Handicap winner Just A Dasha Hero in a time of :17.709.
The Oklahoma-bred gelding by Tres Seis was ridden to victory by Oscar Peinado and saddled by Jaime Gomez, who clinched his first ever Los Alamitos Quarter Horse training title on Saturday night.
“I take it day by day and for me it’s the same,” Gomez said. “I’m happy and we keep working hard. I’m happy for Howard right now. This is Howard’s year. I’m so happy for him. The horse that won the Two Million (Bomb Cyclone) was hard to beat and that’s why I told him that it was like he had won it when he finished second. I told him that he won the Two Million and that he was also going to win this race because he’s lucky. And when you’re lucky, you’re lucky.”
Doc Lamb earned $13,750 for the win to take his career earnings to $149,342. This was his second win in eight starts and his first of 2021.
Ridden by Erasmo Gasca for trainer Jose Flores, Just A Dasha Hero earned $5,625 for running second for Bland Family Investments, Robyn Gordon and S-Quarter K LLC. Vic3tory LLC’s Other World finished third and was followed by Garda Da Cash, Fallout, Squid Word, Favorite Colossus and Milan Red.
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