Los Alamitos Winter Derby trials split into five divisions

Flash Bak was better than a champion in the Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity on Dec. 13, but not good enough to win the 400-yard race.

Flash Bak was second by a half-length to Apollitical Patty and finished three-quarters of a length in front of third-place Apollitical Gold, who last week was named the champion 2-year-old filly of 2020.

With that attractive recent start, Flash Bak will be a heavy favorite to win Saturday’s seventh race at Los Alamitos, the fourth of five time trials for the $203,950 Los Alamitos Winter Derby. The runners with the 10 fastest times, regardless of finishing positions in the 400-yard trials, will advance to the final on Feb. 13.

The Winter Derby is the first set of time trials at Los Alamitos this year. Sunday, trials will be run for the Brad McKinzie Los Alamitos Winter Championship, which has a final on Feb. 14.

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In 2020, the Winter Derby was won by Tell Cartel, who was named champion 3-year-old colt and overall champion 3-year-old.

Saturday, there are 36 runners entered in the five trials.

Flash Bak, owned by Dutch Masters III and trained by Jaime Gomez, has won 3 of 7 starts and earned $447,167. Flash Bak was ninth in the $3 million All American Futurity at Ruidoso Downs in September but was promoted to seventh via disqualification.

The most competitive trial is the fifth race, which drew three finalists from the Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity – Monopolist (who finished fourth), Doc Lamb (fifth), and Famous Cartel Jess (eighth). Monopolist won the $357,700 Pacific Coast Quarter Horse Racing Association Breeders’ Futurity in October.

The field includes Candy Blood, a three-length winner of the $20,000 Holiday Handicap at 350 yards on Dec. 26 in his Los Alamitos debut. Trained by Monty Arrossa, Candy Blood was fourth in the $826,260 Heritage Place Futurity at Remington Park last May and fourth in the $200,000 All American Juvenile, the consolation for the All American Futurity.

The fourth trial is led by Proud Movin Renegade, who was second in the Wild West Futurity at 350 yards at Los Alamitos in October, a race restricted to horses who ran at Western tracks outside of California at least once earlier in 2020.

The sixth trial is the second meeting between Terrific Temper and Thats R Best Card, who were second and fifth in the Ed Burke Million Futurity last June. Terrific Temper was ninth in the Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity, finishing 3 3/4 lengths behind Apollitical Patty as the 3-1 second choice.