MCNELIS HOMEBRED SCOOPS FIRST GRADE 1 STAKES WIN FOR LONGTIME OWNER
The expression “good things come to those who wait” is a great way to capsulize Ed and Von Zae McNelis’ winning moment in Grade 1, $212,000 Los Alamitos Winter Derby here on Saturday night.
An owner and breeder since the early 1970s, Ed McNelis enjoyed his ever first Grade 1 victory after his homebred gelding Scoops Dynasty took home the big prize in the Winter Derby at 400 yards. Ridden by Armando Cervantes for trainer Monty Arrossa, Scoops Dynasty broke on top from post three, pulled away from his rivals at the midway point and then held off the fast closing A Pollitical Candy V by ¾ lengths to win for the third time in his seven-race career. The now multiple stakes winner by FDD Dynasty, the Idaho-bred Scoops Dynasty covered the distance in :19.478, the fastest time in this race since Viva Mi Corazon won the 2014 running in :19.46.
“I’m numb,” Ed McNelis said. “This is my first Grade 1 and it’s really, really good. It blows my mind. It’s a lot of work to get here. Tonight, a lot of friends came here. I’m getting a lot of phone calls and it couldn’t be better. I like that horse, Scoops Dynasty. I have the whole family. I own his momma, Bye Sweet Girl, and I own three of Scoops Dynasty’s sisters and they are already producing as well.
“We have a great time raising young horses and we just found out today that we will have another full sibling of Scoops Dynasty on the way. The embryo has already been put in the (recipient) mare. We like the family a lot.
“Next Sunday night, I’ll have a horse in the Los Alamitos Maiden named My Game Plan. He’s also out of one of Scoops Dynasty’s sisters named Rumbled Britches. We also raced Mommas Dynasty and she won a stakes here. She’s also a full sister to this horse.
McNelis, who is from Nampa, Idaho, was on track for Scoops Dynasty’s other stakes win, the John Deere Juvenile California Regional Challenge back on August 14. That was also a ¾ length win and it came at the 350-yard distance. Next, McNelis can work on finding a place for his trophy after this Grade 1 stakes.
“When (Scoops Dynasty)e came away from there and I saw he had had his head out front, it was pretty positive,” McNelis said. “This is the greatest place to run. I bought his mother right here at the sale at Los Alamitos I’ve heard a lot of people tell me that I should come here and buy the horses at this sale and that’s very true. We’ve been fortunate to have some good horses , but there studying, working, feeding and changing in order to try and get better, better, better, we are starting to get there with our horses. There’s no feeling like it after you spend all the time, and you don’t know what is going to happen in a big race like this one and then you see this happen.”
Scoops Dynasty earned $89,040 for the win to take career his bankroll to $133,428. His next stakes event could be the Adequan California Derby trials in May followed by the (G2) Golden State Derby trials in July 24.
Valeriano Racing Stables LLC’s A Pollitical Candy V, whose connections paid $10,000 to make him eligible to the Winter Derby trials, made the gamble worthwhile after earning $36,040 for his runner-up effort. Oscar Peinado piloted the Jaime Gomez-trainee, who came flying from the outside post 10 to run second.
S&S Horses’ Corona Yo continued his consistent form and he battled for a top two spot throughout the race before settling for third. Ruben Lozano piloted the Valentin Zamudio-trainee. Corona Yo earned $25,440 for running third.
A Famous Ribbon, Eye On The Sky, Amadeus MV, Jess Being A Friend, Empty Promise, Fortunate Corona and Daytone 1000 completed the field.
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