Preview Racing


Moonie Blues Goes After Elusive Derby Win In PCQGRA Breeders Derby On Friday
Grade 1-placed Moonie Blues will be looking for her first stakes win in Friday's Grade 3, $152,000 PCQHRA Breeders Derby on Friday at Los Alamitos.

© Scott Martinez
Moonie Blues Goes After Elusive Derby Win In PCQGRA Breeders Derby On Friday

LOS ALAMITOS, CA—OCTOBER 3, 2018—The fourth time may be the charm for Lisa Anderson's Moonie Blues as the talented homebred filly goes in search of her first derby victory of the year in her fourth attempt when she faces a powerful field in the Grade 3, $152,000 PCQHRA Breeders Derby on Friday at Los Alamitos.

The Washington-bred will be one of the headliners in the 400-yard derby after posting the fastest qualifying time in the trials on September 15.

Sired by Freighttrain B and out of Stuckonafeeling, Moonie Blues won her trial by a length while covering the distance in 19.72. Her winning time was 12/100ths of a second faster than the second fastest qualifier J Fire Up, the AQHA champion 2-year-old last year.

"I thought she would do well, but I was surprised that she went so fast," Anderson said. "She looked better for that race than I've seen her look in a long time. We gave her some time off (April through July) and that always helps. She's come back more mature and the older she gets the better, plus she's always been a smart filly."

Moonie Blues qualified to the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Winter Derby and Grade 3 La Primera Del Ano Derby earlier this year. After her vacation, she qualified to the Grade 2 Golden State Derby. She's run third in all three of those derby finals.

For Anderson, the filly has been a dream, winning six of 15 starts and earning $436,585. She ran second in the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity last year and won the Wild West Futurity. Anderson bred Stuckonafeeling after purchasing the breeding to Freighttrain B at the Bitterroot Sale stallion auction.

"I had always liked Freighttrain B and I believe that he's one of first stallions by Pyc Paint Your Wagon," she said. "Stuckonafeeling has also been a producer and everything that she's had has ran, of course, not of the quality of Moonie Blues, but they've all been runners. She's always produced correct, healthy, and sound babies. Denny Boer owns her now and I'm looking forward to seeing her next babies."

The field to the PCQHRA Breeders Derby is just full of consistent 3-year-olds, headed by Darling Farms, Jaime Gomez, and Ernesto Solis' superstar J Fire Up. A winner of nine of 12 career starts, J Fire Up won her derby trial by a nose over Governor's Cup Derby winner Black Fryday.

The daughter of multiple stakes sire Kiddy Up will be going after her fourth stakes win of her career after taking the Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity, Golden State Million Futurity, and Governor's Cup Futurity last year.

Ron Hartley's Favorite Cartel gelding Black Fryday will be going after his second derby win after defeating Chance To Fire and Dont Foose With Me in the Governor's Cup. Both of those horses will be back in action in the PCQHRA Breeders Derby final.

Mark and Peggy Brown's Jess My Kiss, the 24-1 winner of the Winter Derby, Four Forty Blast Handicap winner On Our Way, Jens List Memorial stakes winner Diamonds Blue Eye, and Grade 1 finalists The Revenant and Remember The Rose will complete the field.

Courtesy of www.losalamitos.com.