ROCKIN WITH ENERGY, COWGIRL UPP SURPRISE IN GOLDEN STATE DERBY TRIALS
Top fillies Rockin With Energy and Cowgirl Upp scored upset victories over a pair of Grade 1 winners on a night of surprising trials to the Grade 2, $193,400 Golden State Derby on Saturday at Los Alamitos.
Parsons Family Limited Partnership’s Rockin With Energy finished as the top qualifier with a time of :19.752 after coming out of top in a very strong derby trial over a field that included Grade 1 Los Alamitos Winter Derby winner BP Cartel Policy and Governor’s Cup Derby winner Mask Mandate. Sent off at 5-1 odds, Rockin With Energy broke fast and was bumped by BP Cartel Policy, who had a rough start on the way to running fifth. Ridden by Henry Reynoso Lopez, the homebred filly by Parsons Rock shook off the bump and then finished super while outdueling Ed Allred’s Cheater by ¾ lengths. BP Cartel Policy, who came into this trial with a perfect three for three record in 2024, had a troubled race and finished fifth, but his time of :20.015 was still good enough to be the eighth fastest qualifier to the September 7 final.
Meanwhile, the Paul Jones-trained Rockin With Energy scored her fourth win in nine starts while adding this fastest qualifying effort to other top moments in her career such as her runner-up effort in the Grade 1 Ed Burke Million Futurity in June of 2023 and her runaway victory in the Debutante Stakes on California Breeders Champions Night on January 27. Her effort in the Golden State Derby trials was not as spectacular as her Debutante wins, but it was a still a top-notch effort.
“She broke good and finished strong and just ran a nice race,” Jones said. “I was really pleased with her. She’s two for two coming back off a little rest. She needed a little break. She’s a great filly. She ran second in the Ed Burke and showed a lot of talent. I’ve always liked this filly a lot and she’s really making a nice 3-year-old. She’s got a big future ahead of her. I was a little worried because BP Cartel Policy broke in and bumped her. I thought she was able to stay on her feet. It was two strides and it didn’t affect her. She ran clear and ran a good race after that. I’m glad she held strong.”
Kolleen Ledgerwood’s Cowgirl Upp was an even bigger price on the toteboard when she posted her trial victory at odds of 15-1 over Ed Burke winner Political Rivalry in the third and final trial. Ridden by Jesus Rios Ayala for trainer Cesar De Alba, Cowgirl Upp took the lead shortly after the start and won by a head in a time of :19.823 over Parsons Ranch’s Kevins Wise Corona. Cowgirl Upp will now look to even up the score against Rockin With Energy after finishing fourth to her in the Debutante last month. Bred by David and Leah Nelson, Cowgirl Upp is the daughter of Favorite Cartel and out of the Grade 1 stakes winner Kiddy Up Cowgirl. A finalist to last year’s PCQHRA Breeders Futurity, Cowgirl Upp was picking up her third win from seven starts.
The opening Golden State Derby trial went to the impressive Kickin Famous, who looked sharp from the rail while finishing ahead of Keith Nellesen’s Think Again Kevin by ¾ lengths. Owned by Jose Flores, Robyn Gordon and Ricardo Rodriguez, Kickin Famous has enjoyed a solid sophomore campaign, as he’s now qualified to three graded derbies. Ridden by Irving Lara, Kickin Famous covered the distance in the sixth fastest time of the night in :19.915.
In addition to the Golden State Derby, the son of One Famous Eagle also qualified to the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Winter Derby, a race in which he finished fourth, and the El Primero Del Ano Derby, where he ran seventh. George Seward bred Kickin Famous.
The third fastest time went to Kevins Wise Corona, who stopped the clock in :19.852. Cheater was the fourth fastest with a time of :19.854, while Double Bar S Ranch’s Three Company posted the fifth fastest time of :19.864 after running third to Rockin With Energy in the second trial. Here’s the complete list of qualifiers: Rockin With Energy (:19.752), Cowgirl Upp (:19.823), Kevins Wise Corona (:19.852), Cheater (:19.853), Threes Company (:19.864), Kickin Famous (:19.915), Mask Mandate (:19.925), BP Cartel Policy (:20.015), Think Again Kev (:20.034), and Optical Illusion (:20.043). Optical Illusion has now qualified to six graded stakes races in his career.
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