Arrossa brings strong quartet to Los Alamitos Super Derby

As a group, Ab Seis Corazones, Bp Cartel Policy, Lets Leave, and Stanley Cartel provide trainer Monty Arrossa with an intimidating team in Sunday’s $763,000 Los Alamitos Super Derby at 400 yards.

Selecting one among the group to win the track’s richest race for 3-year-olds is not an easy chore.

“I have a strong contingent of horses,” Arrossa said in late October.

Bp Cartel Policy and Ab Seis Corazones were first and second, respectively, in the first of four time trials Oct. 20, setting the fastest and third-fastest time of the 10 qualifiers – 19.51 seconds and 19.84.

Stanley Cartel won the third trial in 19.72 to remain unbeaten in five starts. Lets Leave was second in the fourth trial, losing by a neck to Boardwalk in 19.99.

They are part of a field of 10 in the Super Derby, a group that includes Dark Nme, the champion 2-year-old filly of 2023 who has won once in four starts this year after winning 8 of 9 races last year.

Dark Nme finished third behind Bp Cartel Policy in 19.85 in the trials.

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Arrossa said in late October that the runner-up finish by Ab Seis Corazones in the trials left him impressed, considering the gelding lost his running position shortly after the start and closed well once clear.

“Ab Seis Corazones ran the best trial of any of them,” Arrossa said. “He swung to the outside and still outran Dark Nme.”

Stanley Cartel won his trial by 1 3/4 lengths in his 400-yard debut. The Super Derby is his first start in a stakes final.

“I really like Stanley Cartel,” Arrossa said. “He’s passed every test and passed pretty easy.

“This will be his toughest test. He’ll step into a Grade 1 race, and I hope he can step up to that as well. He’s a big, stout, beautiful animal. It will be fun.”

Bp Cartel Policy is the most accomplished runner in the field this year, with wins in the $174,200 Los Alamitos Winter Derby in February and $193,400 Golden State Derby in September. On the strength of that record, the gelding is expected to be favored.

Lets Leave has every right to improve after a second in the trial, his first start since a sixth-place finish in the $832,707 Ruidoso Derby at Ruidoso Downs in June. In 2023, Lets Leave won the $1 million Ruidoso Futurity.

Dark Nme is harder to assess. Her lone win this year was a trial race for the Rainbow Derby on July 6 at Ruidoso Downs. She was third in the $794,730 final at The Downs at Albuquerque on July 27.

Supplemented to the Super Derby for $30,000 during the summer, Dark Nme has every chance to improve in Sunday’s final, her second start at Los Alamitos.

The winner of Sunday’s race receives a provisional berth to the $600,000 Champion of Champions at 440 yards on Dec. 14 at Los Alamitos.

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