CHAMPIONS NIGHT AT LOS ALAMITOS PREVIEWS

COURTESY OF LOS ALAMITOS RACETRACK


FDD DYNASTY

CHAMPIONS NIGHT PREVIEWS


FDD DYNASTY GOES AFTER DERBY WIN


Last year's Governor's Cup Derby produced an eventual AQHA World Champion, and judging by the strong trial posted by FDD Dynasty in his 2007 debut and the confidence of his connections, this year's renewal of the Grade 1 race at 400 yards could launch another championship campaign.

After a freshman season that included a victory in the Ed Burke Million Futurity, a second-place finish in the Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity and a third-place finish in the Golden State Million Futurity, FDD Dynasty returned after more than seven months away from the racetrack to be the fastest of 10 qualifiers to Saturday's Golden State Derby with a time of 19.46 seconds. The bay colt owned by Pat Guthrie, Billy Smith and the Vessels Stallion Farm won his trial by two lengths for trainer Mike Joiner and jockey G.R. Carter, Jr.



"I think he's better now than before," owner Smith said after the race. Smith said that FDD Dynasty underwent surgery to remove small chips from both ankles after last season.



FDD Dynasty's qualifying time was .10 seconds faster than any other finalist, the equivalent of more than half a length. The second-fastest qualifier was up-and-coming 3-year-old Not A Full Moon, who has won three races in a row and five of his last six since December 2006 with his biggest victory coming in the Grade 1 El Primero Del Ano Derby at Los Alamitos in April. Ron and Denise Van Amburgh's Not A Full Moon will be ridden by Alejandro Luna for trainer Jaime Gomez and will break just inside of FDD Dynasty.

The Governor's Cup Derby will also include last year's Governor's Cup Futurity dead-heat winner Checknbac, who could become the sixth horse to win both the Governor's Cup Futurity and Derby and the first since 2000.

Wave Carver won the 2006 Governor's Cup Derby and went on to capture the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Super Derby and the Grade 1 Champion of Champions en route to his selection as Quarter Horse racing's World Champion.


STRENGTH IN NUMBERS IS TOP MATRON CONTENDER

Benny Rosset's Strength In Numbers has left the starting gate slowly in her recent races but has put together strong finishes to be in the picture with some of Los Alamitos Race Course's best fillies and mares. Federico and Valeriano Ruesga's Pappys Corona, a former claimer who has won four races in a row, has been very quick out of the gates in capturing shorter 300-yard races. The contrasting styles between the two could set up an exciting finish in the $58,400 Grade 3 California Breeders Matron Stakes to be run at 400 yards.

The field of 10 will also include Christian and Ru Anna Singletary's Lindas Dasher, who is still looking for her first graded stakes victory after four second-place finishes in Grade 1 races. Lindas Dasher was third in this race last year to Apollitical Time, who went on to become the 2006 AQHA Champion Aged Horse and Champion Aged Mare.

Strength In Numbers, to be ridden from the rail by Cody Jensen for trainer Paul Jones, closed for fourth in the Grade 1 Vessels Maturity and third in the Grade 3 Miss Princess Handicap, both times beaten by ageless 9-year-old mare Five Bar Molly. Jones will also saddle First Wicked Lady and Dreams Can Fly in the Matron Stakes. First Wicked Lady is trying to regain the form that produced a second-place finish in last year's Grade 1 All American Derby at Ruidoso Downs. She has not hit the board in four races in 2007. Dreams Can Fly has yet to win in 2007 but has finished second or third in six of her seven races this year.

Pappys Corona has climbed from claiming to allowance to stakes company with four straight wins at 300 yards and will step up in class and distance for trainer Santiago Rodriguez and jockey Juan Andrade. A winner of nine races in 23 career starts, she has never run further than 350 yards.

The race also features Mongoose Hawkette, who was fourth in this event last year and will make her first start in nine months, and Love To Finish First, the winner of the Northwest Distaff Challenge at Sun Downs in Kennewick, Wash., in her only start this year in May.


BAD COP RETURNS AFTER LONG LAYOFF


Greg Patino's Bad Cop, one of the top distance Quarter Horses a few years ago, will return after more than 20 months away from the races in the $46,800 Grade 3 California Breeders Sprint Stakes. The 350-yard distance, however, may not be ideal for the 6-year-old, who was last seen finishing second in the Grade 1 Challenge Distance Championship at Los Alamitos Race Course in November 2005 to AQHA Champion Distance Horse Prankster Cf. Rodrigo Aceves will ride for trainer Jesus Nunez.

Instead, the conditions seem more ideal for Ah Commotion, the 26-1 upset winner of last year's Grade 2 PCQHRA Breeders Derby, and recent allowance winners Labbe, Hezaspicymeatsaballa and Spanish Tass. Another contender figures to be Juan Gomez' Dicey Dee, a finalist for the Grade 1 Vessels Maturity in his most recent start and the fourth-place finisher in the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Winter Championship earlier this year.

Pazazz Quarterhorses' Ah Commotion did not break his maiden until his 10th career start but followed up his maiden victory by qualifying to the PCQHRA Breeders Derby and then riding the rail to victory in the finals. Yet in his 2007 debut, the Connie Hall-trainee only managed a seventh-place finish in a trial to the Grade 1 Vessels Maturity. He will be ridden for the first time by jockey Joel Cruz on Saturday.

By contrast, performing more consistently has been Robert Labbe and Nancy Scane's Labbe, who finished third, then second, then first in three allowance races this year after moving to the barn of Patricia Visscher following an 0-for-4 2006. Jose Santos' Hezaspicymeatsaballa won two allowance races in a row before finishing second in a $100,000 claiming race in his most recent start in June.


SHORT CZECH AIMS FOR FRESHMAN WIN


E G High Desert Farms' Short Czech just missed out on qualifying to compete for the big money in the $400,000 Grade 1 Governor's Cup Futurity and will instead go for a consolation victory on Saturday in the $40,000 California Breeders Freshman Stakes for 2-year-olds at 350 yards.

A full field of 10 with four also-eligibles was entered in the race that also includes Grade 1 Kindergarten Futurity finalists Go By Express and Fighter On Fire.

Short Czech has competed in trials to the Kindergarten, Ed Burke Million and Governor's Cup futurities in his three career starts for trainer Daniel Luna. She missed out on the finals of the Kindergarten by .06 seconds, the Ed Burke by .14 seconds, and the Governor's Cup by .02 seconds. The Governor's Cup trial may have been the filly's most impressive performance. After breaking in and being bumped, the daughter of Corona Czech and A Short Cake made up more than a length to win and went from sixth place to first place. J.R. Ramirez will be aboard for the first time on Saturday.

Short Czech is one of two Freshman Stakes entrants with multiple victories, having won two of her three career starts. Ed Allred's Thinking First has also captured two of three with maiden and allowance wins for trainer Scott Willoughby and regular rider Raul Ramirez, Jr.

Kim Pitcher and Runaway Ranch's Go By Express was fifth in the Kindergarten Futurity two starts back and was then upset as the 3-5 favorite in a trial to the Governor's Cup Futurity after breaking in at the start of the race and lugging out at the finish. Cody Jensen will be aboard for trainer Paul Jones.

Rancho El Alacran's Fighter On Fire was last in the Kindergarten Futurity but rebounded for trainer Adan Farias and jockey Rodrigo Aceves with a third-place finish in the Ed Burke Memorial Juvenile in a fast 17.49 seconds.

Also looking to rebound from the Governor's Cup Futurity trials will be Lucas Racing's Surf Runner, who exits the trial of fastest Governor's Cup qualifier My Buddie.


LASSEN COUNTY LOOKS TO BECOME A STAR


A length and a nose separate Julian Morfin's Lassen County from potentially being regarded as Los Alamitos Race Course's top 3-year-old this season. The Charles Treece-trainee was second in the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Winter Derby by a length to A Stoli Mate in February and second in the Grade 1 El Primero Del Ano Derby by a nose to Not A Full Moon in April. In total, the gelded son of sire Pritzi Dash and dam Chickasis has finished second four times in five starts in 2007 heading into Saturday's $44,300 Grade 3 Jens L List Jr Memorial California Breeders Stakes.

The 400-yard race drew a field of eight and also includes a trio of Paul Jones-trained runners made up of 2006 Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity finalist Trisk, Grade 3 California Derby Challenge runner-up Corona Candy, and El Primero finalist First Dinastia.

Trisk finished in front of Lassen County in a trial to the El Primero Del Ano Derby. After finishing second in the El Primero, Lassen County disappointed when finishing fifth as the 7-5 favorite in the Town Policy Handicap in his most recent start on May 26. He is still looking for his first win in 2007. Lassen County will change riders and have Rodrigo Aceves aboard. Lucas Racing's Trisk followed up his El Primero performance with an allowance win and a third-place finish in the Governor's Cup Derby trial that produced finalists Not A Full Moon and Don Juan Bryan Sa. Trisk will be ridden by Ramon Sanchez for trainer Jones.

Jones is also the trainer of Corona Candy and First Dinastia. Paul Haggar and William Meshover's Corona Candy will be piloted by Cody Jensen. The Fakri Family and Benny Rosset's First Dinastia will have the services of G.R. Carter, Jr.