LOS ALAMITOS, CA—MARCH 1, 2019—Striver has been a dream come true for owner Juan Carlos Chavez, who purchased the Foose filly for $17,000 at the Los Alamitos Equine Sale in October of 2017. Striver has since become a multiple stakes winner and was the runner-up in the prestigious Grade 2 Robert Adair Kindergarten Futurity held last year.

"She's truly been a dream that has become a reality," said Chavez, the assistant of trainer Scott Willoughby. "Striver has helped me out a lot and the dream continues in 2019 because she helped me buy another horse last year."

Striver picked up her second career stakes victory after flying out of the gate to win the $15,000 Dreaming Sweet Handicap at 330 yards on Friday at Los Alamitos. The Ed Allred-bred filly earned $8,250 in the process to take her career earnings to $126,876.

Chavez used some of the filly's earnings from 2018 to purchase the Kiddy Up colt Newport Guy at the Equine Sale last year. He paid $30,000 for the half-brother to the stakes placed Newport Coaster.

Ridden by Vinnie Bednar, Striver took advantage of a terrific start to post a 1 ˝ length victory in the Dreaming Sweet in a time of :16.734. She's now won three of 12 starts while hitting the board for the seventh time.

"This time she broke sharply and it was our turn to win again," Chavez said. "She had issues a few months back so we gave her a vacation. She was a little tired at the end of her 2-year-old campaign and got a little sick on us for about two weeks. That's when we gave her the time off. We worked a lot with her so that we could have her back to top form. This was her race tonight."

Striver's other stakes win came in the Stotz Equipment Stakes on AQHA Bank of America Racing Challenge Night on November 17.

Barry and Janice Sather's Singles Cruise had a tough journey as he stumbled and bumped but still finished second in the Dreaming Sweet. The filly by Favorite Cartel has now finished in the money in eight of 12 starts and has now earned $72,377 in her career. She earned $3,375 for this runner-up effort.

A three-time stakes winner in Canada, Singles Cruise came into this race after running in the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Winter Derby.

Callender, a colt by multiple stakes sire Kiddy Up, finished third for owner-trainer Valentin Lozano. Ruben Lozano was aboard the gray California bred from the Separatist mare Pie Maid. Edward C. Allred is the breeder. He earned $1,875 fr the effort.

Cava Yee Tah, I M Brazilian and Jodee B Valiant completed the field.

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Courtesy of www.losalamitos.com.