Preview Racing


Lotta Blues Man Heads Southern California Derby Final
Lucky Seven Ranch's Grade 1 winner Lotta Blues Man will head Friday's Grade 2 $175,300 Southern California Derby at Los Alamitos Race Course.

© Scott Martinez
Lotta Blues Man Heads Southern California Derby Final

LOS ALAMITOS, CA—DECEMBER 8, 2017—After posting impressive victories in his last two starts, Lucky Seven Ranch's homebred Lotta Blues Man will look to close out his sophomore campaign with a win in the Grade 2, $175,300 Southern California Derby on Friday at Los Alamitos.

The Southern California will be contested at 400 yards and will be held as the eighth and final race on the card. First post is 7 p.m.

Along with Worth Doing and Chazaq, Lotta Blues Man was one of the top 2-year-old juveniles at Los Alamitos last year. The Favorite Cartel gelding's sophomore years began in up and down fashion, running eighth in the Dillingham Handicap in his season debut before running second in the Vandy’s Flash Handicap and winning his trial to the Golden State Derby.

Following an eighth-place finish in the Golden State final and a fourth in a trial to the Los Alamitos Super Derby, Lotta Blues Man has found his groove. He crushed his rivals to win the Town Policy Handicap by 1-1/2 lengths on November 11 and then returned with a simply dominant victory in his trial to the Southern California Derby on December 1.

To be ridden by Cesar Del Alba for trainer Mike Casselman, Lotta Blues Man led his trial from start to finish in route to a 1 3/4 length win in the fastest qualifying time of :19.79. He will start from the outside post number 10 on Friday night while looking for his ninth victory in 15 career starts.

Lotta Blues Man is also approaching the $1 million mark in career earnings. He won’t quite get there even if he wins this final, but he’ll be within striking distance of reaching the seven-figure mark in lifetime bankroll in his first few starts in 2018. Lotta Blues Man won the Golden State Million Futurity last year.

To be ridden by Jesus Rios Ayala for trainer Jaime Gomez, Cartel Sixes won the fourth trial by a half- length and should be mighty tough in the final from post three.

The Corona Cartel gelding finished ahead of Lotta Blues Man in the Golden State Derby this year and was one of only three horses to run in all three of Los Alamitos’ million dollar races last year. Lotta Blues Man and Worth Doing were the other two.

Mark and Peggy Brown's homebred Kissed By An Eagle won his Southern California Derby trial and is once again a major player in a derby finale. A half-brother to Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity finalist Jess My Kiss, who also races for the Browns, Kissed By An Eagle will be going after his ninth win in 16 starts.

John Andreini and Vince Genco’s Hootin For Hotlips, a 21-1 longshot winner in a Southern California trial, Seared, Mr Apollitical Dash, Renewed, Midori Sparkle, Bannister, and Well Good will also race.

Courtesy of www.losalamitos.com.