Bomb Cyclone, under jockey Eduardo Nicasio, winning this Los Alamitos Super Derby(G1) by 1-1/4 lengths Sunday at Los Alamitos Race Course.

© William Zuazo

LOS ALAMITOS, CA—NOVEMBER 6, 2022–Just like the meaning of his name, Rosenthal Ranch's Bomb Cyclone "intensified very quickly and brought quick impact" into the running of the Grade 1, $982,050 Los Alamitos Super Derby, taking the lead in the nation's richest derby shortly after the start and then flying to 1-½ length victory on the way to posting the second fastest time in this derby's history at 400 yards here on Sunday night.

Racing from his favorite spot in the gate, post position number one, Bomb Cyclone was second behind Edward and Von Zae McNelis' Scoops Dynasty when the gates opened, but it didn't take long for the son of Favorite Cartel out of Remember Me Rose to take the lead.

By the midway point, Bomb Cyclone was already a length in front of Scoops Dynasty and he just kept going from there.

With Eduardo Nicasio aboard for trainer Chris O'Dell, Bomb Cyclone crossed the wire in :19.301, the fastest time in this race since the great Apollitical Jess, with Nicasio also aboard on that night, set the stakes record of :19.13 in 2010.

Winning trainer Chris O'Dell with Los Alamitos Super Derby winner Bomb Cyclone. © William Zuazo

Bomb Cyclone is now undefeated in his four starts at Los Alamitos and three of those victories have come from post number one. Last year, the Steve Burns-bred runner won his Los Alamitos Two Million trial by four lengths from the rail. He returned a few weeks later to win the Two Million final by two lengths. Give him the rail and Bomb Cyclone is as explosive a runner as they come.

"This was probably a step up in company," O'Dell said about this Super Derby field. "There were some very good horses in there like A Pollitical Candy V, the All American Derby winner, and so forth. It takes so much luck. We missed last week (with Cyber Attack in the Golden State Million Futurity) by just a little tiny bit. It was our turn this week. We got lucky when we drew good because he likes the one hole. He seems to run good down there and I don't know why. Some horses seem to like the outside, he likes the inside. It's amazing to see him. He hits his stride and just keeps on going."

This was one of the strongest fields in recent Super Derby history, as it featured a total of four Grade 1 winners and a cast of razor-sharp horses.

Second place finisher Scoops Dynasty, winner of the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Winter Derby and Grade 2 Golden State Derby, came into this race with a perfect six for six record this year, while third place finisher Golden Boi entered having won all four of his starts in 2022 for owner and breeder M&G Farms.

Alamitos Super Derby winner Bomb Cyclone returns under jockey Eduardo Nicasio. © William Zuazo

Valeriano Racing Stables' A Pollitical Candy V won the Grade 1 All American Derby and Grade 1 Rainbow Derby at Ruidoso Downs before running second in his Super Derby trial. He was 10th at the start of this race, but then came on strong in the second half of the race to finish in fourth place. The top four finishers were followed by Dasha Good Reason, Jess Fire Me, Inspyre, In Hott Pursuit, Corona Yo, and Jess Hez On Fire.

With such a strong lineup of 3-year-olds to contend with, O'Dell worked to make everything as perfect as possible for Bomb Cyclone coming into the Super Derby, particularly after encountering some issues before he ran fourth in the All American Derby.

"There is just so much worry and build up," O'Dell said. "As fast as he is, he is fragile in a way. Not to make excuses, but we had a little trouble before the All American Derby, two or three days before. He got cast in his stall. He's so big, he got cast in the stall and got a little sore behind. We massaged him and worked on him and got him to where to where he was good to run. You have to sit on them and watch them like a mother hen. We had him ready before that. Hats off to the horse that won the All American Derby, what a runner."

"We kind of wanted 'revenge' so when (A Pollitical Candy V) drew right next us I thought 'Okay, now we can have a match race,'" O'Dell said. "There was so much on the line (in the Super Derby), not only to win this, but now that we've done that, we'd love to point him to the Champion of Champions. I think he's a contender. I think he would add to the toughness and the strength of the Champion of Champions."

Los Alamitos Super Derby winner Bomb Cyclone returns under jockey Eduardo Nicasio. © William Zuazo

A winner in six of nine career starts, Bomb Cyclone earned $399,021 for his Super Derby victory to take his career earnings over the million-dollar mark. With his first place share of the purse from this race, the California-bred has now earned $1,326,791.

"After he won the Los Alamitos Two Million last year, I thought he deserved some time off," O'Dell added. "He came with me to my ranch in Ruidoso. I gave him a controlled turn out. I never even gallop him at all until the schooling races were over at Ruidoso around May 1. I kept him moving, but I never did gallop him. He needed the time off. Horses like this only have so many of these kinds of races, you know :19.30 races, horses only have so many like this.

"Connie Rosenthal has been the best because she's let me stop and go, stop and go and stop and go with all her horse. That's what you have to do. You get going and if you come with little problems, you have to slow down a little bit. You let the horse get right and then you can come up again. Now that I have a place that is good for that purpose, I think it's important to give these kind of horses a rest. Horse like Bomb Cyclone, it doesn't take a lot to get them ramped up again. Him, you can put two works in him and he's ready to go. It doesn't take much time to get him ready again. I kept him moving and I walked him every day, cleaned his feet, painted his leg, etc. It was a control turn out."   

In total control in winning the Super Derby, Bomb Cyclone will now keep his trainer hard at work on him for the next month.

"Now I have to worry until December 10," said O'Dell referring to the date of the $750,000 Champion of Champions.

For Nicasio, the jockey will look to win his fourth Champion of Champions, which would tie him with Jerry Nicodemus and Bruce Pilkenton for most victories in this prestigious event.

"It's something real, real amazing," Nicasio said. "I've been waiting to qualify again for the Champion of Champions. And what kind of horse I now could have in the Champion of Champions. He's a fast horse and I think he likes the number one post. He stumbled a little bit, but second jump, he was gone. Scoops Dynasty broke ahead of me. First 200 yards, he was right there with me. He's a good horse too, but this horse, Bomb Cyclone, is amazing. He's fast. This is my third Super Derby win and I want to win another Champion of Champions. I'm going to try this year with Bomb Cyclone."

Ridden by Armando Cervantes for trainer Monty Arrossa, Scoops Dynasty earned $161,508 for his runner-up effort in the Super Derby. Sired by word champion sire FDD Dynasty, his career bankroll now stands at $411,448.

Golden Boi, who was ridden by Ruben Lozano for trainer Valentin Zamudio, added $114,006 to his bankroll to lift it to $721,147.

Apollitical Candy V, who was saddled by Heath Taylor and piloted by Juan Pulido, is now just a few dollars shy of the $800,000 mark after adding his fourth-place share of the purse of $66,504. The gelding by Apollitical Jess has earnings of $799,613.

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