Los Alamitos: Revv Me Up looks to back up trial win in La Primera Del Ano Derby

Revv Me Up won for the first time in her nine-race career in a time trial March 16 for Saturday’s $200,000 La Primera Del Ano Derby for fillies at Los Alamitos.

Previously, she was second six times, including a nose loss in the $125,000 Los Alamitos Maiden Stakes on Feb. 24, before the breakthrough win in the trials.

If she wins Saturday’s 400-yard final, owners John and Cina Sperry and trainer Paul Jones will be hoping for less excitement in the moments after the race. While galloping out after the trial, Revv Me Up unseated jockey Ramon Sanchez, who was not injured. He was back aboard the filly minutes later for the winner’s circle photo.

“We were between two horses and all of a sudden she put on the brakes and I went down,” Sanchez said that night.
Revv Me Up is part of a field of 10 in the La Primera Del Ano Derby. By Stel Corona, Revv Me Up qualified for two major futurities at Los Alamitos last year, finishing fifth in the Kindergarten in May and ninth in the Ed Burke Million in June. She did not start again until December, finishing second in a maiden race.

In the time trial, Revv Me Up won by three-quarters of a length over La Primera finalist Secretly Hot, winner of the Governor’s Cup Futurity last July. Secretly Hot, who won the Holiday Handicap in December, has the highest earnings of the finalists, at $177,965. Secretly Hot is owned by Manuel Lorenzana and is trained by Danny Montes.

Revv Me Up was timed in 19.73 seconds and holds the fastest qualifying time. “I’m happy she finally broke her maiden,” Jones said after the trial. “Maybe she’ll get into a winning habit.”

There are three other trial winners in the final – Fireworks (19.85), Tiny Taz (19.90), and Lavish Susan (19.97).

Tiny Taz won her first start since November in the trials. Trained by Christopher O’Dell for Parsons Ranch, Tiny Taz won two minor races last year. The La Primera Del Ano Derby is her first major stakes.

O’Dell said the layoff was needed since Tiny Taz is a small filly who does not maintain weight well.

“With her, she’s so small you have to space her races out,” he said. “Having three weeks between the trials and final will help.”