Apollitical Zoom tops wide-open Winter Derby

The Quarter Horse filly Apollitical Zoom failed to qualify for the Rainbow, All American or Los Alamitos Two Million futurities in 2014, losing time trials for each race. She began her 2015 season on a much brighter note, winning a division of the Los Alamitos Winter Derby trials as a 14-1 outsider on Jan. 25.

Apollitical Zoom set the fastest qualifying time of 20.006 seconds in the 400-yard race, which leaves her as a leading contender in a wide-open running of Saturday’s $208,850 Winter Derby at Los Alamitos.

Apollitical Zoom is owned by Dennie and Kris Hill of Blackfoot, Idaho, and trained by Bret Vickery. The Hills and Vickery teamed to win the 2002 All American Futurity at Ruidoso Downs with AB What a Runner.

The Winter Derby is the first major race for the 3-year-old division at the year-long Quarter Horse meeting at Los Alamitos. The field of 10 does not include any major futurity winners from the track’s 2014 season.

Two finalists qualified for major races last year. Wild Sixes Cartel was second in the Kindergarten Futurity at Los Alamitos last May, and sixth in the Rainbow Futurity at Ruidoso Downs last July. James First Affair was sixth in the Pacific Coast Quarter Horse Racing Association Breeders’ Futurity at Los Alamitos in October.

KEY CONTENDERS

Apollitical Zoom

* One of two fillies to qualify for the final, Apollitical Zoom won her division of the trials by three-quarters of a length over Winter Derby finalist Ynot Walk. Apollitical Zoom was ridden by Cesar DeAlba, who has the mount in the final.

“When I first saw her time, I didn’t think it would be the fastest of the night, but she beat some very nice horses,” DeAlba said after the trial. “She ran a heck of a race.”

* The trial win was the second victory in seven starts for Apollitical Zoom, who is by Apollitical Jess. She beat maidens at 250 yards at Ruidoso Downs last June in her career debut.

Chowchilla Dreamin

* Chowchilla Dreamin won a division of the trials in 20.117 seconds for trainer John Cooper, who won four derbies at Los Alamitos in 2014 with the 3-year-old champion Moonist.

* A filly, Chowchilla Dreamin began her career in November, and has won three of four starts.

“Chowchilla Dreamin could be any kind of horse this year,” Cooper said on trial night.