Ima Fearless Hero can begin title drive in Super Derby

Ima Fearless Hero was the champion 2-year-old Quarter Horse gelding of 2015. Time is running out for him to claim a similar title as a 3-year-old this year.

Ima Fearless Hero was a troubled ninth in the Pacific Coast Quarter Horse Racing Association Breeders’ Derby at Los Alamitos on Sept. 30 and qualified for Sunday’s $767,750 Los Alamitos Super Derby with a third-place finish in a division of the time trials on Oct. 15.

Trained by Jose Flores, Ima Fearless Hero was timed in 19.85 seconds in the 400-yard trials, earning the 10th and final qualifying berth. He will need a sharper performance to win the Super Derby, the richest race for 3-year-old Quarter Horses in California.

The winner of the Super Derby earns an automatic berth in the $600,000 Champion of Champions at Los Alamitos on Dec. 10. The Champion of Champions, at 440 yards, plays a pivotal role in year-end championship voting.

Owned by Don, Kathy, and Shawn Meneely, Ima Fearless Hero earned his championship with wins in the PCQHRA Breeders’ and Los Alamitos Two Million futurities last year.

The Los Alamitos Super Derby drew three horses who won stakes earlier this year – Flay, the winner of the Spencer Childers Handicap in July; Rite Regal, who won the Golden State Derby in August; and Time for Jess, who won the Los Alamitos Derby Challenge in August.

The field also includes Docs Best Card, who was third in the PCQHRA Breeders’ Derby; Big Lew, who was sixth in the Ruidoso Derby and 10th in the Rainbow Derby at Ruidoso Downs during the summer; and Go Black Benny, who was third in the Golden State Derby.

Big Lew, who beat Flay and Ima Fearless Hero in the time trials, is one of three runners in the field owned by Reliance Ranches of Llano, Texas, and trained by Mike Robbins. They also start Flash N Bling and Rip Tide.

Flores has three runners – Ima Fearless Hero, Rite Regal, and Jess a Pollitician. Rite Regal was the fastest qualifier in the time trials, finishing in 19.71 seconds.

Docs Best Card is the most accomplished runner in the field who has not won a stakes. Last year, Docs Best Card was second in four futurities – the Kindergarten, Ed Burke Million, Golden State Million, and Los Alamitos Two Million.