Golden State Derby final has an unexpected look

The lineup for Sunday’s $197,700 Golden State Derby at Los Alamitos is considerably different than the projected list of qualifiers prior to time trials on July 25.

The filly Aint She Tempting, the winner of the Oklahoma Futurity in March 2020, qualified after finishing second behind College Scandal in the first of two trials. Aint She Tempting was the 1-2 favorite and was beaten a neck by 8-1 College Scandal.

That was an upset of its own until the chaos of the second trial.

Apollitical Patty, the 1-20 favorite, unseated jockey Jesus Ayala at the start. Apollitical Patty had won the Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity last December and the Los Alamitos Oaks in March and was expected to easily qualify for the Golden State Derby.

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Instead, she will reportedly be pointed for the Los Alamitos Super Derby on Nov. 7, provided she qualifies through the time trials on Oct. 16.

The lineup for Sunday’s $197,700 Golden State Derby at Los Alamitos is considerably different than the projected list of qualifiers prior to time trials on July 25.

Apollitical Patty is trained by Monty Arrossa, who starts Aint She Tempting, a winner of 4 of 11 starts. Owned by Julianna Hawn Holt, Aint She Tempting will start from the outside post of 10 in the Golden State Derby, which is run at 400 yards and is the track’s leading race for 3-year-olds in the summer.

Jose Nicasio will ride Aint She Tempting, whose only win in three starts this year was a division of the Los Alamitos Oaks trials on March 6. Aint She Tempting was second by two lengths to Apollitical Patty in the final.

Since her win in the Oklahoma Futurity at 300 yards, Aint She Tempting has been second in three major races – the Heritage Place Futurity at Remington Park in May 2020, the Golden State Million at Los Alamitos last November and the Los Alamitos Oaks.

By Tempting Dash, Aint She Tempting will be favored in the Golden State Derby. Reason to Fly MV, who won the trial that very briefly included Apollitical Patty, has a solid chance for trainer Jose Flores.

Reason to Fly MV had his 2021 debut in the Golden State Derby trials. Last year, Reason to Fly MV was second in his only stakes final, the Pacific Coast Quarter Horse Racing Association Breeders’ Futurity in October.

Trial race winner College Scandal drew the rail. Trained by Juan Aleman, College Scandal ended a five-race losing streak with the upset over Aint She Tempting. They drew side-by-side in the trial, but are on opposite sides of the gate on Sunday.