Doodah Cartel will seek his third derby victory of the season when he headlines Saturday night’s Golden State Derby (G2) trials at Los Alamitos.

© William Zuazo

By Orlando Gutierrez

CYPRESS, CA–AUGUST 12, 2026–A stacked lineup of 21 sophomore Quarter Horses will be in action on a night of trials to the Grade 2, $171,900 Golden State Derby on Saturday night at Los Alamitos, each seeking one of ten coveted spots in the 400-yard final scheduled for Saturday, September 5.

Contested at 400 yards, the three trials will combine to feature a powerhouse roster of divisional stars, returning champions, and sharp summer performers. Headlining the trial action is the multi-derby winner Doodah Cartel, the much-anticipated local 3-year-old debut of PCQHRA Champion 2-Year-Old gelding Hi Octane, plus impressive California Breeders Champions Night winners In The Lead and Warmly.

One of the most dominant forces of the 2026 racing season, Doodah Cartel enters his 400-yard trial seeking his third derby title of the year. Owned by Thompson Racing, Paul Jones, and Alexis Andrade, the gifted Favorite Cartel colt won five consecutive races to start his sophomore campaign, sweeping both the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Winter Derby and the Grade 2 El Primero Del Año Derby. After posting the fastest qualifying time in the Governor’s Cup Derby trials, Doodah Cartel faced early adversity in the final—rearing at the gate and bumping with rivals—yet still closed powerfully to finish third.

With five wins from six starts this season, he remains a standard-bearer in the division. Henry Reynoso Lopez will ride the outstanding colt for trainer Paul Jones in the opening trial, race six on the eight-race program.

Fresh off a commanding wire-to-wire performance in the $30,000 California Debutante Stakes for fillies, In The Lead will be looking to build on that sensational performance on July 26 while taking on Doodah Cartel in the opening trial. Owned by Dr. Steve Burns and trained by Mike Casselman, the brown filly dominated her 350-yard contest by two lengths in a blistering :17.622. A half-sister to Grade 1 winner You Can Run ($290,000), In The Lead secured her third career victory in 12 starts with her Debutante romp and now brings serious gate speed into Saturday’s trials.

Ed Allred’s homebred gelding Warmly scored a narrow neck victory in the $30,000 Jens List Stakes also on July 26. Trained by Scott Willoughby and ridden by Gabriel Lara, Warmly overcame early trouble, established the lead, and held off SG Jacob Jay over 400 yards in :20.130. His proven ability at the derby distance makes him a threat to qualify, while challenging Doodah Cartel and In The Lead in the first trial.

The runner-up in the 2025 Robert Adair Kindergarten Futurity (G2), Fireworks Over Paris proved his back class in the Vandy's Flash Handicap, flying late to miss by just a nose to Cmtellumwhereyagotit. Trained by Jose Flores for Layne Sprouse, Mark and Marta Winslow, and Flores, he remains a dangerous late-closer. He’ll also join the strong opening trial lineup.

Keith Nellesen’s Hi Octane was named the 2025 PCQHRA Champion 2-Year-Old Gelding after a standout juvenile season highlighted by a third-place finish in the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity. A three-time winner in nine starts, Hi Octane returned this season with a third-place effort in the $112,000 Old South Derby at Delta Downs before encountering significant trouble in his most recent start.

Now returning to Los Alamitos to headline the second heat, Hi Octane will be looking to advance to his third local stakes final. The son of Apollitical Jess also hit the board in the John Deere Los Alamitos Juvenile final. The highly consistent runner has finished in the money in 10 of his 11 career starts. Rodrigo Sigala Vallejo will pilot Hi Octane in this heat.

The red-hot partnership of owner Randy Dickerson and trainer Luke Lindsey continues to deliver with their homebred "CM" runners. Cmhowaboutthemcowboy has been one of their success stories for the season following his 10-1 upset win in the $34,782 Adequan California Derby Challenge at 400 yards. The gelding by Flying Cowboy 123 took full advantage of a clean trip and scored by a nose to earn his first career win.

“We knew [Cmhowaboutthemcowboy] could run and thought he could go the distance. He had a clear shot and just kept going," Lindsey said.

Cmhowaboutthemcowboy will be looking to deliver another surprise on Golden State Derby trials night, as he’ll be in action in the second trial against the likes of Hi Octane.

The Allred barn will have several other top hopefuls looking to advance to the Golden State Derby final. The list includes More Of It, who was third to Doodah Cartel in the El Primero final; Hurry Up, who finished fifth in the Governor’s Cup Derby; plus the full brothers Go North and Next Norco, both of which exit the Jens List against Warmly. Next Norco finished third in the Jens List, while Go North ran fourth in the Vandy’s Flash earlier this year. Go North and Next Norco are both younger siblings to Los Alamitos Super Derby champion Norco.

More Of It and Next Norco will face off in trial number three, a trial that will also feature graded futurity finalists Elmer Romero and Cowboy Country 123

Other top derby contenders in action include several talented fillies in French Valley, the runner-up in the Grade 1 Ed Burke Million Futurity last year; The Lady Is A Vamp, a multiple graded futurity finalist; and Fancy Upp, who qualified to four graded stakes during her solid 13-race career after most recently finishing fourth in the Governor’s Cup Derby. Walk When I Walk is another top filly racing in the trials, having participated in three stakes events this season, including the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Winter Derby.

Los Alamitos Oaks finalist You Are The Best and recent allowance winner Morning Star K are among the other top names vying for a spot in the Golden State Derby trials.

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