SHE GOES UP AIMS FOR SPECIAL GOVERNOR’S CUP DOUBLE AFTER FASTEST TRIAL WIN
Ed Allred’s She Goes Up will look to become the first filly since AQHA Champion Corona Cash to sweep the Governor’s Cup Derby and Futurity after posting the fastest qualifying time to the Derby on Sunday at Los Alamitos.
Sired by Seperate Interest and out of the Up For It, who was a Governor’s Cup Futurity winner as well, She Goes Up won the first of two trials by ¾ lengths over Grade 1 finalist Sweet Dasha Fire while covering the 400 yards in :19.810.
Ridden by Jonathan Roman and trained by Scott Willoughby, the Allred-bred starlet also improved her record to five wins from 11 starts. She came into this race after daylight an outstanding group of fillies in the La Pacifica Handicap on May 7. In winning her derby trial, She Goes Up battled back after bumping at the start. She accelerated with ease after the early trouble and from there led by ¾ lengths all the way to the wire.
She Goes Up has an opportunity to join an exclusive and limited list of fillies to have won both of the Governor’s Cup races. Corona Cash is the last to do it, winning the 1997 Futurity before returning to win the Derby in 1998. After winning the Governor’s Cup Futurity, Corona Cash traveled to Ruidoso Downs to win the Grade 1 All American Futurity. Corona Cash’s dam, the legendary Corona Chick, also previously recorded a winning double in this series. She won the Governor’s Cup Futurity in 1991 before returning to win the Derby in 1992.
Making her first start for Valeriano Racing Stables, Sweet Dasha finished nicely to move up from fifth to second in this trial. With Jesus Rios Ayala up for trainer Jose Flores, the Walk Thru Fire filly posted the second fastest qualifying time of :19.909. She entered this race after running third to She Goes Up in the La Pacifica. EG High Desert Farms’ Letty Cartel and Allred’s Watch Out, who ran second in the Governor’s Cup Futurity last year, also qualified out of this trial.
The second trial went to Five Livestock Company and Steve Wright’s Favorite Honey, who ran third in last year’s Governor’s Cup Futurity. Ridden by Armando Cervantes for trainer Monty Arrossa, Favorite Honey did everything right here on the way to a ½ length victory over the 34-1 longshot Insider. Favorite Honey, a gelding by Favorite Cartel and out of Coronas Fast Honey, won the Grade 2 PCQHRA Breeders Futurity last year.
The sophomores with the 10 fastest times in the trials moved on to the Governor’s Cup Derby final to be held on Sunday, July 31. The complete list of qualifiers is as follows: She Goes Up (:19.810), Sweet Dasha Fire (:19.909), Letty Cartel (:19.943), Favorite Honey (:20.008), Insider (:20.073), Knockout Cartel (:20.138), Favorite Habit (:20.171), Watch Out (:20.197), Bizarrely (:20.206), and Nevada Charles (:20.250).
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