Flash Bak nails Apollitical Patty in final strides of Los Alamitos Super Derby
Fastest qualifier Flash Bak lived up to his role as the strong favorite displaying a remarkable rally in the final 100 yards to win Sunday’s $925,650 Los Alamitos Super Derby.
The victory assured Flash Bak of a berth in the $600,000 Champion of Champions at 440 yards against older horses at Los Alamitos on Dec. 11.
Ridden by Oscar Peinado, Flash Bak ($4.20) caught the filly Apollitical Patty in the final strides to win the 400-yard Los Alamitos Super Derby by a neck in 19.60 seconds. Apollitical Patty (3-1) finished three-quarters of a length in front of 10-1 Fallout in the field of nine.
Apollitical Patty was pulled up on the turn and was reported by track officials to be tired, but otherwise did not appear to have sustained an injury.
Flash Bak, trained by Jaime Gomez for the Dutch Masters III partnership of Jim Streelman and Bill Dale, bled in the Oct. 10 time trials and was required to have a pre-race workout before being allowed to start in the final. Flash Bak worked 220 yards in 12.40 seconds on Oct. 31, and emerged from the exercise without bleeding, which allowed him to start in the track’s richest derby.
A gelding by Moonin the Eagle, Flash Bak has won 7 of 15 starts and earned $946,015. Earlier this year, Flash Bak won the Los Alamitos Winter Derby in February. At Ruidoso Downs during the summer, Flash Bak was ninth in the Rainbow Derby and third in the All American Invitational, the consolation to the All American Derby.
Last December, Apollitical Patty and Flash Bak were first and second in the Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity.