Sensational Sophomores Clash In 73rd Running of G1 Los Alamitos Super Derby

California’s richest derby will add another glorious chapter to its history when ten of the nation's elite three-year-old Quarter Horses load into the gate for the 73rd running of the Grade 1, $641,950 Los Alamitos Super Derby here on Sunday night.

To be contested over the 400-yard distance under the Orange County stars, Southern California’s premier sophomore classic will offer more than just a rich purse and the lead in division supremacy: the winner earns a presumptive berth into the prestigious Grade 1 Champion of Champions to also be held here on Saturday, December 12.

Political Twist Leads the Charge as Fastest Qualifier

Leading this formidable field is fastest qualifier Political Twist, owned by La Feliz Montana Ranch LLC and Ray Willis. Following a stellar juvenile campaign in 2025—during which he earned AQHA titles as Champion Two-Year-Old and Champion Two-Year-Old Gelding—the New Mexico-bred gelding is enjoying another tremendous season. His latest standout performance came in the Super Derby trials, where he posted the night's top clocking while improving his sophomore record to four wins from five starts this year.

Sired by Apollitical Jess and out of the Tres Seis mare C Twister Seis, Political Twist captured the Grade 1 Ruidoso Futurity and Grade 2 West Texas Futurity last season, while also finishing second in the Grade 1 All American Futurity. During his sophomore campaign, he won the Grade 1 Rainbow Derby on July 11 before finishing second in the Grade 1 All American Derby on September 6.

Making his season debut at Los Alamitos—and his third career start under the Southern California lights - Political Twist was outstanding in winning the first of three trials. Ridden by Luis Martinez and trained by Manuel Rodolfo Rodriguez, Political Twist grabbed the lead right from the start, opened up a one-length advantage shortly after, and dominated the rest of the way to score an authoritative 1¼-length victory in :19.573. His winning time was 21/100ths of a second faster than the next fastest qualifier, Doodah Cartel.

Political Twist has now won 10 of 13 career starts, with two of those victories coming in impressive fashion at Los Alamitos. As a juvenile, he won his trial to the Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity by two lengths before a very troubled trip in the final hampered his chances. That rough trip is in the past, as shown by his performance in the Super Derby trials.

“He’s acclimated wonderful,” said owner Javier Rodriguez. “He loves it out here. He loves Los Alamitos, he loves to run under the lights, and he hasn’t had any issues at all. He’s trained perfectly and he’s gained some weight. He’s been eating so good and has been doing everything perfectly.

“Sometimes it’s hard when you have a good 2-year-old to bring them back as a 3-year-old, the campaign sometimes it’s not the same. He’s a very sound horse and that’s the big difference with him.”

His connections will focus on keeping him relaxed and focused at the gate heading into Sunday's final.

“He gets in there, goes in a flipping halter and he can get a little anxious,” Rodriguez added. “He wanted the gates to be opened (in the trials). I think (jockey Luis Martinez) did great job with him. He didn’t bother him; he just sat on him and let him do his job.”

Political Twist will start from post number nine on Sunday night.

Doodah Cartel and Equipment Changes Pay Off

Owned by Alexis Andrade, Paul Jones, and Thompson Racing, Doodah Cartel snapped a two-race losing streak with a sharp performance in the third trial, posting the second-fastest qualifying time of :19.783. The son of Favorite Cartel broke cleanly from the gate, hit his full stride immediately, and cruised to a comfortable half-length victory. It marked his sixth win in eight starts this season, with his only setbacks occurring in his previous two outings.

Earlier this year, Doodah Cartel swept the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Winter Derby and Grade 2 El Primero Del Año Derby, becoming only the fourth horse in track history to accomplish that double.

“It was nice to have the real Doodah back,” trainer Paul Jones said. “We took the blinkers off him tonight. He was getting a little ratty in the gate, so we’ve been schooling him. He kept trying to whip his head and get a little bullish in the gate. His father, Favorite Cartel, we had to do the same thing with him, and we also did the same thing with Good Reason SA. Sometimes these colts as they get a little age on them, they don’t get studdy, but they get a little bit playful and bullish, so we took the blinkers off him and that seemed to help him mind his manners (in the trials).

“He got a decent break and basically that’s what it takes, get a decent break and when you get a clean run, his talent is able to show. We figured that we needed to try something different and make a change. We schooled him without the blinkers and it seemed to help; he didn’t want to whip his head around because he could see a little more and it worked. It was nice.”

The victory marked the 3,980th career Quarter Horse win at Los Alamitos for Paul Jones, leaving him just two wins shy of tying the track record of 3,982 held by the legendary Blane Schvaneveldt. Henry Lopez will be in the irons aboard the colt, who was bred by Jones and Thompson Racing. They’ll start from post number seven.

SG Jacob Jay Back To Winning Form

Shane Giles’ SG Jacob Jay (:19.794) was the other trial winner, as he returned to the winner’s circle for the first time since his victory in the James Smith Memorial Handicap. The Adan Farias trainee took advantage of drawing the outside post eight and an equipment change of his own.

“They said that all he was doing was getting in the gate and looking left and right, so they decided to use a flipping halter on him and get him looking down the front,” Giles said. “It’s the best he’s left in a long time, so we’ll take it. This is the first time I’ve seen him run with a halter and it seemed to work out well. This is the (second) time in his racing career that he’s gotten the outside (post). Every time that he’s been a little slow, they’ve taken his (racing) path and then it’s all over. At least he had a little running room this time. We’re very lucky.”

Bred by George Fallieras and Nathali Pacheco, SG Jacob Jay will race from post number six. Sired by Favorite Cartel and out of Ancient Empress, SG Jacob Jay is a full brother to AQHA Champion and Grade 1 winner Tarzanito.

The lineup features incredible depth beyond the trial winners. West Texas Racing Partners’ AQHA Champion Two-Year-Old Colt Enforce and Keith Nellesen’s star filly Beuteeful qualified after finishing second and third behind Political Twist in the opening trial. Beuteeful comes in with massive credentials of her own, having won the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Oaks before outrunning older mares in the Grade 1 Mildred Vessels Memorial Handicap. The Millie Vessels earned her a Champion of Champions berth and she’ll now look to become the first filly to win the Super Derby since Flash N Roll in 2019.

Derby winners Hi Octane (G2 Golden State Derby winner) and Brother Ray (RG2 Governor’s Cup Derby winner) also punched their tickets to this final when chasing Doodah Cartel in trial three. The SG Jacob Jay trial also had Famous Talk (Holiday Handicap winner), Shiny New (third in the G1 Ed Burke Million Futurity), and Fear My Legacy, a royally bred maiden by Walk Thru Fire out of the great broodmare Fredaville, qualify for the final.

HISTORIC DERBY

The Super Derby holds an exalted place in Quarter Horse racing, as its list of winners is filled with an illustrious roster of legendary sprinters who subsequently won the Champion of Champions. The list includes all-time icons like Dash For Cash, Sgt Pepper Feature, Dashs Dream, First Down Dash, Dashing Folly, Wave Carver, and Heza Dasha Fire.

This year's renewal features a field fully worthy of that storied heritage. Boasting eight stakes winners, six of them graded stakes winners, the 10-horse lineup reads like a “who’s who" of the three-year-old division as it promises to be one of the signature races of the 2026 season.

The Field of Ten Finalists

Here are the 10 finalists for the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Super Derby, listed in order of their qualifying times:

Post / Horse Notes

Beuteeful Dual G1 Winner (Los Alamitos Oaks & Mildred Vessels)
Fear My Legacy Royally bred Maiden by Walk Thru Fire out of Fredaville
Brother Ray RG2 Governor’s Cup Derby Winner
Shiny New 3rd in G1 Ed Burke Million Futurity
Enforce AQHA Ch. 2YO Colt; G1 Golden State Million Futurity Winner
SG Jacob Jay James Smith Memorial Handicap Winner; Full Brother to Tarzanito
7Doodah Cartel G1 Winter Derby & G2 El Primero Del Año Derby Winner
Famous Talk Holiday Handicap Winner; Out of G1 Winner Little Talks
Political Twist AQHA Ch. 2YO Gelding; G1 Rainbow Derby & G1 Ruidoso Futurity Winner
1Hi Octane G2 Golden State Derby Winner

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