HERE SHE IS---CUTE AS SHE CAN BE

COURTESY OF LOS ALAMITOS RACE COURSE


Blues Girl Too with a bright red shadow roll

THE GIRL RETURNS ON SATURDAY NIGHT


Blues Girl Too will make her first start since winning the Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity and being crowned AQHA Champion 2-Year-Old when she faces a contentious field in Saturday's second of three trials to the Golden State Derby.


The Grade 1 Golden State Derby final will feature an outstanding purse of $320,150, which is 40 percent higher than last year's purse. This year's running is also the richest since Rambac's victory in 1989. Blues Girl Too's return has been highly anticipated. Trained by 23-year-old Joe Bassett for Lucky Seven Ranch, the daughter of Corona Cartel won five of seven outings last year and her only setbacks were runner-up efforts in both the Golden State Million and Ed Burke Million futurities. She defeated champion and recent Governor's Cup Derby winner FDD Dynasty to win last year's $2 million "Deuce", the richest race ever contested at Los Alamitos.



Blues Girl Too will face a powerhouse field in her first out. Her rivals will include Ron and Denise Van Amburgh's Not A Full Moon, who has been in tip-top form the whole meet, and the classy stakes winner Trisk. Trained by Jaime Gomez, the full brother to former Los Alamitos Million winner Your First Moon has won three of five races this year, including a nose victory in the El Primero Del Ano Derby at 400 yards. The Vessels Stallion Farm-bred runner also ran second to FDD Dynasty in the Governor's Cup three weeks ago. Not A Full Moon will be racing from the rail in this trial. He won his Governor's Cup heat from that same post on July 14.



Trisk, a full brother to champions Wave Carver and Ocean Runaway, has drawn the outside post nine for this race. He also ran from the outside when scoring a length victory over Los Alamitos Winter Derby runner-up Lassen County in the Jens List Memorial Stakes on July 28.



Felix Gonzalez's A Mere Splash, considered by some as the top 3-year-old on the grounds right now, will take on La Primera Del Ano Derby winner Fancys First Affair in the third trial. A Mere Splash is three for three in 2007 and his wins include the Los Alamitos Maiden Stakes and Vandy's Flash Handicap, in which he defeated champion Jess You And I. Fancys First Affair is undefeated in her career but has not raced since her La Primera race in April. Look Her Over, a solid winner in the 550-Yard Sophomore Stakes will also race.

The opening trial features Los Alamitos Winter Derby hero A Stoli Mate. Owned by Jesus Avila and Jesus Cuevas, A Stoli Mate has not raced his Winter Derby triumph. Rodrigo Aceves pilots the Stoli gelding as well as the aforementioned A Mere Splash.