Circle City, Tell Cartel rematch in Golden State Derby

Circle City beat Tell Cartel so convincingly in a division of the Golden State Derby time trials on Aug. 2 at Los Alamitos that it is easy to understand if bettors will predict the same result in Sunday’s $204,100 final.

Circle City, second by a nose in the Golden State Million Futurity last November, has always been held in high regard by owner and breeder Ed Allred, who owns Los Alamitos, and trainer Scott Willoughby. Circle City has never won a stakes, but the trial win, in which he set the fastest qualifying time, suggests such a milestone is within reach.

In that regard, Tell Cartel is considerably more accomplished. Owned by breeder Mimi Wells and trained by Matt Fales, Tell Cartel had a perfect campaign in the first three months of the year, winning the time trial and the final of the Los Alamitos Winter Derby on Feb. 8 and the El Primero Del Ano Derby on March 29.

After the March win, Fales said that he wanted to give Tell Cartel a break through the spring and early summer to prepare for the Golden State Derby and the major stakes of the autumn.

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In the Golden State Derby trials, Circle City broke sharply and led by as much as two lengths before finishing 400 yards in 19.65 seconds. Tell Cartel was second by 1 1/4 lengths. He was third of nine in the first 100 yards after a fair start and finished with interest under jockey Ruben Lozano to reduce the margin slightly in the final 50 yards.

Sunday, they have drawn side by side, with Circle City in post 2 and Tell Cartel in post 3. They figure to dominate the betting as the most accomplished runners in a field of nine.

BF Field Notes, a maiden who finished fourth in the trials behind Long Time Favorite and had the seventh-fastest qualifying time, was not entered.

There were two trials on Aug. 2. Longtime Favorite, was the 7-1 winner of the first trial and will have his first appearance in a major stakes on Sunday.

You Can Run, second in the Winter Derby, was second to Longtime Favorite in the trials after racing in traffic. He could finish in the first three on Sunday.

The Golden State Derby is the leading race for 3-year-olds of the summer at Los Alamitos.