LOS ALAMITOS, CA—MAY 28, 2020—Martha Wells' Old School Icon will look to return to the outstanding form he displayed when running second to stablemate Tell Cartel in the Grade 3, $213,300 El Primero del Año Derby when he leads a seven-horse field in the $13,100 allowance feature on Saturday at Los Alamitos. First post is 6 p.m. (PDT).

Old School Icon will enter the 330-yard race after running eighth in the Dillingham Handicap on May 16, the only time in his 13-race career in which he finished out of the top five.

"I drew a line across his Dillingham race," trainer Matt Fales said. "It was a disappointing outing, but I'm looking forward to seeing him back in action on Saturday. The horse is a talented runner. He is like (multiple stakes winner) Yanque in style. They both close hard. Old School Icon ran a big race to finish second in the El Primero. Tell Cartel is a horse that can make his own luck, while Old School Icon need a little bit of luck. He is not a quick-footed horse, but he can finish strongly. I think he's on a path similar to Yanque. That's the direction I see for this horse as he continues to mature."

Also owned by Wells, Yanque has won three consecutive stakes races at 550 yards and as a 3-year-old raced in the 2018 Champion of Champions at 440 yards. To be ridden by Oscar Andrade Jr., Old School Icon will face a field that include the allowance placed runners Doctor Gene and Excessive Cartel.

Owned by Ed Allred, Doctor Gene was third in a condition allowance event on April 24 and second at a similar level on March 29. Raul Galeote Garrido's Excessive Cartel finished second in a 330-yard allowance on April 26.

Chris S Favorite, who like Excessive Cartel is trained by Jose Flores, will also be part of the field, as will Up For Kids, Kates First Down and Up Is Up. Owned by Butte Crest Ranch and Rod Lowe, Up Is Up was an impressive 1-¾ length maiden winner here on April 17.

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Fales is looking forward to a strong second half of the year from Wells' Tell Cartel, the winner of the Grade I Los Alamitos Winter Derby and GIII El Primero and arguably the top sophomore on the grounds.

"We're looking at a couple of more derbies for Tell Cartel," Fales said. "His next derby trial will be the Governor's Cup Derby and ultimately we are looking at the (GI) Los Alamitos Super Derby in the fall. From there, we'll see what will be next for him for the rest of the meet."

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Courtesy of www.losalamitos.com.