Apollitical Hero's travels take him to Southern California Derby trials

Apollitical Hero will start at his fifth different track this year in the first of three divisions of the Southern California Derby trials at Los Alamitos on Sunday.

The experience gained along the way will be needed against a tough field in an attempt to qualify for the $200,000-estimated Southern California Derby on Dec. 19.

Trained by Oklahoma-based Jason Olmstead, Apollitical Hero has raced at Remington Park, Ruidoso Downs, Will Rogers Downs and The Downs at Albuquerque this season. Along the way, Apollitical Hero has won twice – in allowance races at Remington Park and Ruidoso Downs – and was third in the $154,750 Challenge Derby Championship at Albuquerque on Oct. 23.

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Olmstead brought a small group of horses to Los Alamitos this fall, and spoke highly earlier this week of Apollitical Hero, a winner of 3 of 17 starts, all for owners Tom Maher, Paul Luedemann and Dick Tobin.

Sunday, Apollitical Hero is part of the toughest of the three trials, the last three races on a 10-race program.

Apollitical Hero faces Fallout, who was third in the Los Alamitos Super Derby on Nov. 7; Favorite Colossus, who won the El Primero Del Ano and Governor’s Cup derbies earlier this year; and Counting the Ways, who was third in the Governor’s Cup Derby and fifth in the Super Derby.

Favorite Colossus did not qualify for the Super Derby, finishing fifth in a division of the trials after breaking through the gate before the start.

The runners with the 10 fastest times from Sunday’s three 400-yard trials, regardless of finishing position, advance to the final. There are 26 horses entered in the three trials.

J Best Boogie, third in the Golden State Million Futurity in 2020, and Garda Da Cash, fourth in the Ruidoso Invitational at Ruidoso Downs in June, are leading contenders in the second trial. The Ruidoso Invitational is the consolation for the Ruidoso Derby.

Monopolist, third in the Los Alamitos Winter Derby in February and second in the Governor’s Cup Derby in August, has strong credentials in the third trial. A gelding, Monopolist’s competition may come from Just a Dasha Hero, who won the minor Town Policy Handicap at 400 yards on Nov. 6.