LOS ALAMITOS, CA— NOVEMBER 29, 2015—Fillies dominated the trials to the $134,150 Southern California Derby, as the talented trio of Sass Me Blue, Jess Cuz and Weownthenite won their respective 400-yard heats on Sundayat Los Alamitos. Led by the three fillies, the horses with the 10 fastest time will return for the final to be held on the meet’s closing night, Sunday, December 20.

The fastest qualifier came in the opening trial of the evening, as Lucky Seven Ranch’s Sass Me Blue outdueled Fiery Kimbo from post number one to win the 400-yard race in a time of :19.948. It was the latest of a series of impressive efforts by the Utah-bred filly by Valiant Hero, as she came into this race having finished second to champion Heza Dasha Fire in the Grade 1, $868,000 Los Alamitos Super Derby on October 31. Sass Me Blue also ran third to Heza Dasha Fire in the Grade 2 Golden State Derby earlier this year, but her neck victory in this derby trial was her first win of 2015.

“She had not been winning race, but she’s done well in finals and has made some money,” said jockey Cody Jensen, who piloted Sass Me Blue from post one. “She won her trials last year, but didn’t make a lot of money. She’s a good filly and showed that as a 2-year-old. Now that she’s won this race I hope her story for this year still remains and she keeps doing well in the final.”

Sass Me Blue, who just missed making a couple of futurities last year following those trial wins, came into this race having finished in the money in her four previous starts. For the year, she came in having earned $163,022 in those starts. She added $3,300 to that bank account after winning this trial to give her earnings of $166,322 in 2015. Her career bankroll is now $175,152. Trained this year by Mike Casselman, Sass Me Blue was under the care of Cody Joiner during her freshman campaign. The filly was moved to Casselman’s barn after Joiner decided to close his public training stable in early August.

“She came into the barn about eight days before the trials to the Golden State Derby,” Casselman said. “She’s a talented filly and she really seems to have settled in. The last time she ran from post number one she ducked in. Cody said she ran a little green tonight after making the lead from post one. She was looking around a little bit, but he kept her on task. She’s doing great around the barn. She’s eating well and seems to be paying attention to what we’re trying to do.”

Bred by Lance Robinson and Max Anderson, Sass Me Blue is out of the Mr Jess Perry mare Jess Sass Me. The mare won the Holiday Handicap at Los Alamitos in 2006 and ran second in the La Primera Del Ano Derby and third in the Los Alamitos Winter Championship in 2007.

Double Bar S Ranch’s Jess Cuz continued her solid sophomore campaign while also winning her first race of the year in trial number two. Similarly to Sass Me Blue, the filly by Mr Jess Perry came into this race having hit the board in all six of her previous outings. That included a second place finish to Quirky in the Grade 1 Mildred Vessels Memorial Handicap and a second to Heza Dasha Fire in the Golden State Derby. She’s also hit the board in the Florentine and Luva Secret handicap. Alejandro Luna piloted Jess Cuz to victory in this race for trainer Elena Andrade.

“We just get each other,” Andrade said of Jess Cuz. “She’s different and special. She’s a diva and she’s big time spoiled. She’s a typical girl in that she wants things to go her way. I just let her be, but if she didn’t respond by doing things well on the track I wouldn’t do it this way. She was in a serious trailer accident as a 2-year-old so a lot of things do affect her. I hand walk her and she’s a handful. Everyone knows her in the barn area. They call her ‘The Big Red Horse.’ I just want her to keep doing things well on the track. She was invited to race in the Z. Wayne Griffin Directors Trial, but we decided to wait for this race. I would love to see her end the year with a derby win.”

Jess Cuz, out of 2006 Ed Burke Million and PCQHRA Breeders Futurity finalist Corona Couture, held off Old Six Six by a neck while covering the 400 yards in :19.986.

It was good weekend for Legacy Ranch, Inc. On Saturday, Legacy Ranch was in the winner’s circle at Del Mar after Loyalist won the $52,000 fourth race on the card for former Quarter Horse trainer Brian Koriner. On Sunday, Pete Parella of Legacy Ranch was all smiles after Weownthenite won the third and final trial to the Southern California Derby. Racing in partnership with Muller Racing LLC and bred by Legacy Ranch, Weownthenite was picking up her third consecutive victory after covering the distance in :20.091. Her final clocking was good enough to land her sixth fastest qualifying time of the night.

“She didn’t get away that great,” Parella said. “She was a little tardy at the start, but she keeps improving each time. At least we got in the final and that’s the most important thing. I just love horse racing and I love Los Alamitos Race Course. I’ve been coming here since 1961. I stood on this very platform when Kaweah Bar was running in the late 1960s and big crowds were coming to watch him. This was my indoctrination to gambling and horses. I just have a great love for the sport.”

Sired by Walk Thru Fire, Weownthenite is out of the champion filly Flying Fig, the runner-up in the Ed Burke Million, Golden State Million, and Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity in 2010.

“Flying Fig is doing great,” Parella said. “Weownthenite is the first one out of Flying Fig. It looks like Flying Fig will be a nice producer and hopefully she keeps going.”

Freakier LLC’s Fiery Kimbo tied Jess Cuz for the second fastest qualifying of :19.986. Trained by Gerardo Amezcua, Fiery Kimbo came into this race after facing top older horses in the Robert L. Boniface Los Alamitos Invitational Championship. He faced the likes of Champion of Champions contenders Moonist, Far Niente and Seperate Interest on that night. He ran in the Governor’s Cup Derby earlier this year. Carlos Marquez rode the Mike Abraham-bred Walk Thru Fire gelding.

Trainer Jaime Gomez qualified multiple derby winners Bac In Front and Forget It. Bac In Front won the La Primera Del Ano Derby and PCQHRA Breeders Derby, while Forget It won the El Primero Del Ano Derby and Governor’s Cup Derby. Forget It, the third place finisher in the Super Derby in his last start, was the 10th and final qualifier to the Southern California Derby.

For the complete list of qualifiers, times, sires, dams, owners, breeders, trainers and jockeys CLICK HERE.

Courtesy of www.losalamitos.com.