Hes Chickless holds on in El Primero Del Ano Derby
Hes Chickless had a clean trip in Sunday’s $195,200 El Primero Del Ano Derby at Los Alamitos, which allowed the colt to win the first six-figure stakes of his career in a race when other leading contenders were not as fortunate.
Ridden by Cruz Mendez, Hes Chickless ($36.60) broke well to lead by a length after the first 100 yards and was fully extended to hold off a late threat from 7-10 favorite Party Politics by a neck.
Hes Chickless ran 400 yards in 19.78 seconds, giving trainer Sergio Morfin his first major stakes win. Morfin took over training of Hes Chickless at end of 2022 when John Cooper retired.
Party Politics, who was away slowly, finished a half-length in front of 18-1 Mahomes Magic, who bumped with a rival at the start.
Revenant Inside, who finished fifth of 10, was disqualified and placed eighth for causing interference to the well-regarded colt Price Fixer shortly after the start.
Hes Chickless, who races for Jeryl Hartley, has won 6 of 12 starts and earned $140,241. Hartley bred Hes Chickless with her late husband, Ron. The Hartleys owned Moonist, who won the 2014 El Primero Del Ano Derby in the year he was recognized as champion 3-year-old.
Hes Chickless won the minor Ah Sigh Handicap last October when trained by Cooper, the colt’s only other stakes win prior to Sunday.
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