Cr Lota Girl, under jockey Nakia Ramirez, setting the fastest time in the $74,761 Iowa Double Gold Derby trials on Saturday's race card.

© Coady Photography

ALTOONA, IA—AUGUST 18, 2018 —Iowa-bred Cr Lota Girl had not won since her 2-year-old campaign at Prairie Meadows but returned there on Saturday as the fastest qualifier to the $74,761 Iowa Double Gold Derby. The final will be held on September 1.

Cr Lota Girl, with Nakia Ramirez up, posted a time of 19.750 in 400 yards for a speed index of 94. Cr Lota Girl ($3.40) won by half a length as the post-time favorite for trainer Jason Olmstead and owners Dick and Curt Tobin.

The Tobins also bred the filly, by Lota Pyc, out of Lw Evening Lajolla, by Streakin La Jolla.

In 2017, Cr Lota Girl won her trial for the $191,000 Iowa Double Gold Futurity and finished third in the final; she also won her trial to the $174,000 Jim Bader Futurity and finished seventh after stumbling at the break.

She had yet to win in 2018 but qualified for and ran fourth in the final for the $34,000 Gopher State Derby at Canterbury Park. Each of the horses that finished ahead of her returned to win, including First of 15, also trained by Olmstead and a full sister to Lynnder 16, who qualified to the $3,000,000 All American Futurity from the first day of trials at Ruidoso on Friday.

The second-place finisher, Estrella de Noche, posted the second fastest qualifying time of 19.810. Jorge Torres was aboard for trainer Charley Hunt and owner Twin Spires Farm.

The Favorite Cartel filly shipped in from Retama but competed at Prairie Meadows in 2017, winning her trials for the $289,000 Valley Junction Futurity and $191,000 Iowa Double Gold Futurity.

Estrella de Noche was bred in Texas by Mjf Partnership, out of the Royal Shake Em mare Ja Desert Evening. Ja Desert Evening won the Iowa Double Gold Futurity in 2007, finished second in the Valley Junction Futurity (G2), and was fourth in the Iowa Double Gold Derby in 2008.

Third fastest qualifier The Polar Vortex won the second trial with a time of 19.852 and a speed index of 91. The Polar Vortex ($3.60) defeated Agent Carter by a half-length.

Nakia Ramirez and Jason Olmstead swept the two Iowa Double Gold Derby trials with Cr Lota Girl and The Polar Vortex. The Polar Vortex is a homebred for Tom Lepic, by Carters Cartel, out of the Shazoom mare Signs Zoomer, making her a half to multiple stakes placed horse Wagon Tales.

The Iowa Double Gold Derby will be the first stakes appearance for the filly, though she has won three of her ten lifetime starts and has only finished out of the money in three starts. She debuted at Remington and broke her maiden at Canterbury as a 2-year-old; she has won two of her three starts in 2018.

For a complete list of Iowa Double Gold Derby qualifiers with their individual times, sires, dams, owners, breeders, trainers and jockeys CLICK HERE.