Hes Chickless, Party Politics meet up again in Golden State Derby
The season-long rivalry between Hes Chickless and Party Politics continues in Sunday’s $206,200 Golden State Derby at Los Alamitos, their fourth meeting in the last five months.
Hes Chickless and Party Politics were first and second in the $195,200 El Primero Del Ano Derby at Los Alamitos in March in their first matchup.
Party Politics reversed the result with a win in the minor Dillingham Handicap on May 13. Hes Chickless was only third after bumping with a rival at the start.
More recently, Hes Chickless won a division of the Golden State Derby trials on July 23 as the 7-2 second choice with Party Politics second by three-quarters of a length as the 9-5 favorite.
For Sunday’s final, Hes Chickless may be favored over Party Politics in a field of nine.
Trained by Sergio Morfin for Jeryl Hartley, Hes Chickless will start from post 6, with Party Politics on the inside.
Hes Chickless broke from the outside of eight in the Golden State Derby trials, and may prefer a berth away from the rail. He broke from the inside in a field of six in the Dillingham Handicap and was fourth in the Vandys Flash Handicap on June 24 from post 2 in a field of nine.
The Golden State Derby trial was the first time Hes Chickless drew the outside post this year.
“He really loved the post position,” Morfin told Los Alamitos publicity after the trial.
“He doesn’t make any mistakes from the gate and he tries really hard every time.”
Hes Chickles was timed in 19.77 seconds in the trials, the fastest qualifying time from two divisions.
Party Politics, trained by Juan Aleman, is the most accomplished runner in the Golden State Derby. At 2, Party Politics won the Ed Burke Million and Golden State Million futurities. The Dillingham Handicap at 400 yards is his only win in five starts this year.
Morfin also starts the highly capable colt Mahomes Magic, who was third in the El Primero Del Ano Derby and later second in the Dillingham and Vandys Flash handicaps. In the Golden State Derby trials, Mahomes Magic was second by a nose to Budder Off Friends, a filly who has yet to win a major stakes.
The field also includes Chicks First Flash, who won the Pacific Coast Quarter Horse Racing Association Breeders’ Futurity last October, and Good Wagon SA, who was second in the Los Alamitos Winter Derby in February.
Wise Lady Dawn, fifth behind Hes Chickless in the trials, qualified for the final but was not entered.
The Golden State Derby is the last of 10 races on Sunday evening. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.
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