EL AVENTURERO WINS FIRST DOWN DASH TO GIVE TRAINER ANOTHER TOP PERFORMER IN 2023
Trainer Lindolfo Diaz has enjoyed a tremendous campaign at Los Alamitos in 2023. From only 87 starters, Diaz has won 21 races while being a part of many of the season’s richest races.
Diaz’s season has been highlighted by Five Bar Supreme, second in the Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity and winner of the Wild West Futurity; Good Wagon SA, winner of the Town Policy Handicap and runner-up in the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Winter Derby and Grade 2 Golden State Derby; and major stakes finalists Checkn Cartel, Mid Knight Flash, Hez Lonesome, One Sweet Bar, and Quirky Bitty Jess.
Diaz’s most recent top performer is El Aventurero, who is owned by the trainer’s father, J. Francisco Diaz. El Aventurero, a 3-year-old gelding by Docs Best Card, defeated a solid field that included four older stakes winners to take the $30,000 First Down Dash Handicap here on Saturday night. Ridden by Jesus Rios Ayala, El Aventurero finished ¾ lengths ahead of Eleazar Gonzalez’s Mahomes Magic while covering the 400-yard in :19.815. In winning his third race in 12 starts, El Aventurero earned $16,500 for the win to take his career earnings to $113,254.
“It’s been a great season,” Diaz said. “The horses have run great. I can’t complain. Last week, we tried (hard). We ran a second and a fourth and both of them tried their butts off. My crew, we don’t have many horses, but they work their butts off. I need the crew and they put in the work. They do a really good job and the results are showing. My dad, he’s only come to the races I think two times this year, but for sure he’s watching the races at home.”
Ridden by Juan Pablo Leon and trained by Sergio Morfin, Mahomes Magic earned $6,750 for running second. The colt by Favorite Cartel has posted four finishes in the top three in stakes reason this season. He was also second in the Dillingham Handicap and second in the Vandy’s Flash Handicap. He was third in the Grade 2 El Primero Del Ano Derby in the spring.
Stuck In Probate, Jess Being A Friend, Nevada Charles, Bh Free Drop Billy, Earthquake McGoon, You Can Run, Dangerous Dude, and Cattail Cove completed the field.
-30-