KVN Corona wins El Primero Del Ano Derby to stay perfect

KVN Corona remained unbeaten in eight starts with his third stakes win in Saturday’s $235,200 El Primero Del Ano Derby at Los Alamitos.

The champion 2-year-old colt of 2017, KVN Corona ($5.20) overcame a slightly tardy start to win the 400-yard race by a half-length over 20-1 Black Fryday. Sent off favored, KVN Corona was timed in 19.68 seconds under jockey Jesus Rios Ayala.

King of Appeals, a 30-1 outsider, finished third in the field of 10. Yanque, the fastest qualifier from the March 11 time trials, finished ninth. He was away slowly and lost his running path midway through the race.

KVN Corona, by Corona Cartel, has earned $679,534. Trained by Paul Jones for Keith Nellesen, KVN Corona won the Ed Burke Million and Pacific Coast Quarter Horse Racing Association Breeders’ futurities last year. The unbeaten streak includes one maiden race and four trial races.

KVN Corona won a division of the Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity trials last November but did not run quickly enough to qualify for the lucrative final. KVN Corona had his first start of 2018 in a division of the El Primero Del Ano Derby trials, winning by a nose.

Nellesen said KVN Corona will race at Ruidoso Downs this summer, with two of the track’s three derbies likely on the colt’s agenda. The $750,000-estimated Ruidoso Derby on June 9 is followed by the $750,000-estimated Rainbow Derby on July 21 and the $1 million-estimated All American Derby on Sept. 2.

Jones said the All American Derby is a goal, with one of the first two races likely to be included.

Nellesen bred KVN Corona through his McColee Land and Livestock of Middleton, Utah. The colt is named in honor of New England Patriots linebacker Kyle Van Noy, a friend of Nellesen from the player’s days at Brigham Young University.

Van Noy attended the El Primero, the first time he had seen the colt race in person.

On Friday at Los Alamitos, A Political Lady won her first stakes in the $183,800 La Primera Del Ano Derby for 3-year-old fillies at 400 yards.

Ridden by Eduardo Nicasio, A Political Lady dominated a field of 10, pulling clear in the final 100 yards to win by 1 1/4 lengths as the 9-10 favorite. A Political Lady was timed in 19.71 seconds.

Hard Headed Chick, a 13-1 chance, finished second, a head in front of 3-1 Moonie Blues.

A Political Lady has won 5 of 12 starts and earned $221,453 for Parsons Ranch and trainer Chris O’Dell.

A Political Lady was third in the Golden State Million Futurity last November and won the consolation for the Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity in December.