Missmerizing will need her best to win Southern California Derby

Earlier this fall, the 3-year-old Quarter Horse filly Missmerizing was purchased privately by Keith Nellesen prior to a fourth-place finish in a minor stakes at Los Alamitos on Nov. 17. Missmerizing ran a much better race when she recorded a 17-1 upset win in a division of the Southern California Derby trials on Nov. 30, setting the fastest qualifying time of 19.78 seconds for 400 yards.

Missmerizing will need to be equally as good in Friday’s $162,850 Southern California Derby final. The 10-runner field includes A Political Lady, who won the La Primera Del Ano Derby for fillies in April, and Black Fryday, who won the Governor’s Cup Derby in July.

The Southern California Derby will be the first start in a six-figure race for Missmerizing since February, when she won the $107,500 Los Alamitos Maiden Stakes for horses that had yet to win as of Dec. 1, 2017.

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Missmerizing is one of three fillies in the Southern California Derby, along with A Political Lady and Chowchilla Chickadee, who was third behind those two in the time trials. Missmerizing is trained by Monty Arrossa, who has won with 7 of his last 20 starters.

Missmerizing won her Southern California Derby trial by a nose over A Political Lady.

“She got a perfect trip,” Arrossa said on the night of the trials. “Her best attribute is her gate speed. That’s how she ran when she won the Los Alamitos Maiden Stakes earlier this year.”

The Southern California Derby will be the sixth stakes appearance of the year for A Political Lady, who is trained by Christopher O’Dell. A Political Lady was 2-5 in her Southern California Derby trial and was timed in 19.79 seconds.

A Political Lady was fifth in the Golden State Derby in August and third in the Los Alamitos Super Derby last month, losing both races to Jesstacartel, a leading prospect for Saturday’s $600,000 Champion of Champions against older horses.

Black Fryday, trained by John Cooper, will be well backed in the Southern California Derby. He needs to improve his behavior in the gate. The gelding was fifth in the Super Derby and second in a division of the trials after displaying erratic behavior before the start both times.