LOS ALAMITOS, CA—NOVEMBER 6, 2020—Martha Wells' Tell Cartel and Juan Ramos Dorantes' John Carter Cash will headline the richest running ever of the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Super Derby on Sunday at Los Alamitos.

The 67th running of this historic derby will feature a stakes record purse of $1,052,350, bettering the previous record purse of $1.052 million when Apollitical Jess won this event in 2010.

Already a two-time derby winner this year, Tell Cartel posted the fastest qualifying time to this race with a "stronger as the race gets longer" 1 ¼ length victory back on October 17. John Carter Cash is another top contender after he posted a comfortable ½ length trial win as well.

Tell Cartel will have a new jockey for this race in Eduardo Nicasio, as he will take over the mount after Ruben Lozano opted to rider John Carter Cash in the final. Lozano's decision is understandable, as he pilots all of Zamudio's top runners.

For example, Lozano was aboard the Zamudio-trained Constituent in last week's $1,104,550 Golden State Million Futurity. Tell Cartel's trainer Matt Fales is happy to have found a suitable replacement in Nicasio, who by the way was the winning rider aboard Apollitical Jess in the 2010 Super Derby.

"We feel lucky that Eduardo was available," Fales said. "And the horse is doing fantastic. Right now, he's got a bounce to him that is nice."

Tell Cartel's trial win was reminiscent of his derby victories earlier this year when he won the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Winter Derby on February 8 and the El Primero Del Año Derby on March 29.

The colt by Favorite Cartel showed tremendous finishing kicks in both of his derby wins and he was just equally strong at the end of his Super Derby trial. The colt by Favorite Cartel covered the 400 yards in :19.599. He did have a three-race losing streak in between in El Primero win and his Super Derby trial win, but Fales feels good about where Tell Cartel is right now heading into the derby final.

"When he gets into a rhythm, he just continues to go," Fales said.

Tell Cartel will start from post number five.

With Lozano in the irons, John Carter Cash has won three of his last four starts with his most recent stakes victory coming at 440 yards when he defeated older foes in the Bank of America Los Alamitos Championship Challenge by over two lengths. John Carter Cash was eligible to compete in the Super Derby trials after Ramos Dorante made the late payment of $30,000. John Carter Cash will start from post two in this race.

"I felt some pressure because we made the late payment to get him into this race," Zamudio said. "At the same time, I had a lot of confidence in the horse because he was doing well. This horse had already run from (an inside) post position. I just hope he can avoid trouble and has a good start out of the gate."

The field will include Cattail Cove, the runner-up in the 2019 Grade 1 Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity, multiple graded stakes finalist Kiss Thru Fire, Grade 1 Ruidoso Derby finalist Oatman Creek Senator, and Grade 1 Los Alamitos Winter Derby third place finisher Mental Error. Completing the field will be Two Million finalist Mr Ricks, Remington Park Derby finalist Really First Down, James Smith Handicap runner-up Pay Me In Front and La Pacifica Handicap runner-up One Sweet Change.

The winner of the Super Derby will receive a provisional berth to the (GI) $600,000 Champion of Champions on December 12. Since 2000, Wave Carver (2006), Apollitical Jess (2010) and Heza Dasha Fire (2015) followed their respective Super Derby wins with a victory in the Champion of Champions.

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The first ever running of the Los Alamitos Derby was won by Josie's Bar for a $15,000 purse in 1954. Since then, the list of past winners is filled with a who's who in Quarter Horse that includes AQHA World Champions Jet Deck, Kaweah Bar, Dash For Cash, Sgt Pepper Feature, Dashs Dream, First Down Dash, Dashing Folly, Apollitical Jess and Heza Dasha Fire.

The first ever million dollar running took place in 2009 when eventual champion 3-year-old colt Foose won the event for the partnership of Ed Allred and Paul Jones. Apollitical Jess' win in 2010 and Flash And Roll's win in last year's running are the only other times when the Super Derby had a seven-figure dollar purse.

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Courtesy of www.losalamitos.com.