Fastest qualifier Bp Cartel Policy will face a full field in Saturday's $174,200 Los Alamitos Winter Derby(G1).

© William Zuazo

LOS ALAMITOS, CA–FEBRUARY 15, 2024–A first time Grade 1 stakes winner will be crowned on Saturday night when a talented field of sophomores face off in the running of the $174,200 Los Alamitos Winter Derby.

While each of the nine starters in this 400-yard derby will aim for their first Grade 1 victory, several of them have done well when taking part in a Grade 1 final.

For example, Parsons Family Limited Partnership’s Rockin With Energy finished second to PCQHRA champion 2-year-old gelding Political Rivalry in the Grade 1 Ed Burke Million Futurity last year, while Jim Schlagel’s Optical Illusion was third in the meet’s richest race of 2023, the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity won by PCQHRA Horse of the Year and AQHA champion 2-year-old colt Trane Station V.          

Another horse in this field with Grade 1 stakes experience is Bill Price’s BP Cartel Policy, who ran a solid fifth in the Heritage Place Futurity last year at Remington Park. Two others in this field competed in the $50,000 Los Alamitos Juvenile Invitational last year with CD Horses Inc’s Angel Soul running third, while Johnny Trotter’s Roar Like A Lion faced trouble at the start before finishing with a good run in sixth place.

With his Grade 1 stakes experience, BP Cartel Policy is among the horses to beat in the Winter Derby. The Oklahoma-bred gelding by Favorite Cartel and out of (G3) Oklahoma Futurity winner CC Policy also scored a strong victory in the Winter Derby trials, as he picked up more and more speed with each stride on the way to scoring a ¾ length win in the fastest qualifying time of :19.861.

He was also making his first start as a gelding and could improve even more with a cleaner start away from the gate.

Rockin With Energy, who was third to BP Cartel Policy in the trials, is one of three fillies in this race along with Angel Soul and Ed Allred’s Just Watch Her. Any of them could become the first filly since Dutch Masters III’s Imaqtpie in 2017 to win the Winter Derby.

Jose Flores, who trains Roar Like A Lion and also stakes newcomer Kickin Famous, needs just one more stakes win to reach 100 for his career at Los Alamitos. Flores has won the Winter Derby once before with Headturner in 2010. Owned by Flores, Robyn Gordon and Ricardo Rodriguez, Kickin Famous finished second to BP Cartel Policy in their trial. The Colorado-bred Kickin Famous is by One Famous Eagle and has finished third or better in six of his eight career starts. He’s also from the same family as the Grade 1 winner Headturner.

Optical Illusion has shown he is for real at the top level. The gelding by Seperate Interest will be making his fourth stakes final after running in three futurities last year. In addition to earning third place money in the Two Million, he also competed in the PCQHRA Breeders Futurity and Governor’s Cup Futurity.

Paul Jones, who has won a record three Winter Derbies, will saddle Optical Illusion. He also trains Rockin With Energy.  

Juniors Quarter Horses’ Ready For It is the only stakes winner in this race after taking the California Breeders Freshman Stakes. The son of Favorite Cartel is a half-brother to Restricted Grade 1 winners She Goes Up and Up And Atem. Ready For It will be ridden by Eduardo Nicasio, who is one win away from 100 Quarter Horse stakes wins at Los Alamitos.

Completing the racing lineup will be Ed Allred’s Just Watch Her and Boardwalk, two of Allred’s royally bred sprinters. Just Watch Her is out of the outstanding broodmare Look Her Over and is a half-sister to AQHA World Champion He Looks Hot.

Boardwalk is out of the stakes winner Nymph and a full brother to Grade 1 stakes winner Sicario V and stakes winners Monopolist and Frivolous.

The field from the rail out is as follows: BP Cartel Policy, Angel Soul, Roar Like A Lion, Ready For It, Kickin Famous, Rockin With Energy, Optical Illusion, Boardwalk, and Just Watch Her.

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For more info' please contact larace@losalamitos.com. Follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @losalracing or visit us online at www.losalamitos.com.