Racing


Friday Night Derby Goes To Black Fryday, Winning The Southern California Derby Final
Black Fryday (#8), under jockey Eddie Garcia, battles Eyes The Favorite(#5) and Jesus Ayala to win the $162,850 Southern California Derby by a neck Friday night at Los Alamitos Race Course.

© Scott Martinez
Friday Night Derby Goes To Black Fryday, Winning The Southern California Derby Final

LOS ALAMITOS, CA—DECEMBER 14, 2018—Ron Hartley didn't purchase Black Fryday on Black Friday, but he still got a door buster of a deal whenever he purchased the now 3-year-old gelding by Favorite Cartel for $30,000 at the 2016 Heritage Place Sale in Oklahoma City.

Since then Black Fryday has posted six wins from 18 starts and has $336,953 while also picking up a pair of derby victories at Los Alamitos. His second derby win of the meet came on Friday night when Eddie Garcia, this track's all-time leading Quarter Horse rider in wins and stakes wins, in 18 career starts, piloted him to victory in the Grade 2, $162,850 Southern California Derby at Los Alamitos.

Racing from post number eight for trainer John Cooper, Black Fryday was fourth during the early part of the race before flying in the second half of the 400-yard dash to win the Southern California Derby by a neck over Eyes The Favorite in a time of :19.772.

The winning connections of Black Fryday, owner Ronald Hartley, trainer John Cooper, jockey Eddie Garcia with family and friends accept the Southern California Derby stakes trophy. © Scott Martinez
Sent off as the second choice in the wagering at 3-1 odds, Black Fryday added his Southern California win to his 1 ¼ length victory in the Governor's Cup Derby on California Breeders Champions Night on July 28. In addition to his two derby wins, Black Fryday finished second to Kvn Corona in the Grade 3 El Primero Del Ano Derby and also competed in the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Super Derby and Grade 3 PCQHRA Breeders Derby.

"Maybe we'll run him in the Moonist next year," an elated Ron Hartley said in the winner's circle after the race.

Hartley campaigned the 12-time stakes winning champion Moonist from 2013 through 2016. Los Alamitos hosts the Moonist Handicap in late March each year.

"First, he'll go in the (Brad McKinzie) Los Alamitos Winter Championship trials on January 20," Cooper said. "He has almost six weeks to get ready for the trials. We're looking forward to his 4-year-old campaign."

Southern California Derby winner Black Fryday returns, under jockey Eddie Garcia. © Scott Martinez
As for Garcia, he just keeps breaking his own record with each one of his stakes win. Now a winner of 152 stakes wins at Los Alamitos, Garcia became the only rider to reach 150 Quarter Horse stakes wins at the Orange County track when he piloted Black Fryday to victory in the Governor's Cup Derby earlier this year.

"He's a racehorse," Garcia said of Black Fryday. "He has so much heart this horse. He has a heart like mine. I like to win, he likes to win. He hates to get beat and I hate to get beat. He's run a lot of times. He's run 12 times already this year. His sire, Favorite Cartel, is throwing some good legs on his babies. They're staying together. They do well. They have good campaigns. This horse just keeps coming and coming. It feels good to break a record every time I win a stakes race."

Jockey Eddie Garcia aboard Southern California Derby winner Black Fryday in the Los Alamitos winners' circle. © Scott Martinez
"He always has a chance if (he doesn't get mad) in the gates," Cooper said. "He's that kind of horse. If he gets a start, he can run with some of best in the game. He can make them run to the wire. The distance doesn't hurt him. He's just tender in the mouth, not when he's running, but in the gates."

"That's better than having tender feet," Hartley interjected with a laugh. "John did a little change of equipment with him. He had a tender mouth so John took care of it and made a change."

Owned by Lisa Beauprez, Thomas Bradbury and Thomas Bradbury Jr. and Paul Jones, Eyes The Favorite earned $27,685 for running second in the Southern California Derby.

Also sired by Favorite Cartel, from the Eyesa Special mare Eyesa Painted Bug, he's now earned $133,949 in his 20-race career. Eyes The Favorite finished second or better in seven of 13 starts in 2018. Jesus Rios Ayala piloted the Sheryl Edgar-bred runner.

Mark and Peggy Brown's Jess My Kiss, who has also participated in five derbies this year, finished eighth. The One Sweet Jess gelding won the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Winter Derby back on February 10. Vinnie Bednar piloted Jess My Kiss for trainer Roman Figueroa. The Idaho homebred is out of Dreaming Of Kisses by Legendary Dreamer.

My Favorite Cartel, CM Boom Shakalaka, A Political Lady, Chowchilla Chickadee, Missmerizing and Scoopie Jess completed the field.

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Courtesy of www.losalamitos.com.