CHICKS FIRST FLASH AIMING FOR SERIES SWEEP AFTER POSTING TOP DERBY QUALIFYING TIME
Five Livestock Company and Steve Wright’s Chicks First Flash will have a chance to become only the fifth runner to sweep the PCQHRA Breeders Futurity and Derby after an outstanding victory in the opening trial to the Grade 2, $145,000 Derby on Saturday at Los Alamitos.
A half-length winner in last year’s Grade 2 PCQHRA Breeders Futurity, Chicks First Flash dominated his trials, as he flew from along the rail to a ¾ length advantage, pulled away to a 1 ¾ length lead at the midway point and then cruised to the wire to win by 1 ¼ lengths. Ridden by Armando Cervantes for trainer Monty Arrossa, the son of First Moonflash covered the 400-yard distance in :19.890, which was the fastest qualifying time of the night. Led by Chicks First Flash, the horses with the 10 fastest times in the trials advanced to the PCQHRA Breeders Derby final to be held on Saturday, September 30. Here’s the list of 10 qualifiers: Chicks First Flash (:19.890), Ima Sixy Man (:20.089), Mornings With Maria (:20.149), Turbeau (:20.163), One Sweet Duck (:20.166), Pragmatic (:20.180), Escalated (:20.182), Attacker (:20.187), Heather Denise (:20.236), and One Sweet Bar (:20.242).
Bred by Five Livestock Company Ltd., Chicks First Flash scored his sixth win 15 career starts and his second in eight outings last year. Chicks First Flash will now set his sights to become the first runner to sweep this series since S-Quarter K Llc’s Ima Chickie Two in 2011-12. Three others have also posted the Derby/Futurity double. They are AQHA champion Hawkish in 2003-04, Make It Anywhere in 2000-01, and A Zure Hope Too in 1985-86.
Chicks First Flash will now prepare for his fourth derby appearance of the year. A winner in the Vandy’s Flash Handicap on June 24, Chicks First Flash previously ran in the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Winter Derby, John Deere California Derby, and was third in the Grade 2 Golden State Derby in his previous start on August 13. Chicks First Flash made a late run in the Golden State Derby, moving up from sixth to third in a race won by multiple Grade 1 winner Party Politics.
Boardshorts Stables' Ima Sixy Man won the third trial by a 1/2 length over La Pacific Handicap winner One Sweet Duck while posting the second fastest time of :20.089. The Corona Cartel gelding entered his trial after running third in the Sgt Pepper Feature Handicap on August 26 and before that he was second in a stakes race in Sacramento. He's been in the top three if six of his eight starts this year. Victor Salazar piloted the Cavanaugh Quarter Horses LLC-bred runner for trainer Juan Aleman.
Aleman and Salazar also teamed up with WWW Racing Team and Steve Burns’ Mornings With Maria to win the fourth and final trial of the night. Second in last year’s Breeders Futurity, Mornings With Maria will get a rematch with Chicks First Flash in the Breeders Derby after the Steve Burns-bred runner posted the third fastest qualifying time of :20.149. A winner in the trials by a 1/2 length, Mornings With Maria picked up her second win in 10 starts.
Owned by Ed Allred and Brad Hart, Pragmatic won the second trial in spectacular fashion. The gelding by Favorite Cartel had trouble at the start but made up over a length to win in the final strides. Ridden by Cruz Mendez for trainer Jose Flores, Pragmatic finished with the sixth fastest qualifying time of :20.180.
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