Scoops Dynasty comes into Los Alamitos Winter Derby off impressive trial victory

Big things will be expected from the winner of Saturday’s $212,000 Los Alamitos Winter Derby at 400 yards.

The last two winners have been among the nation’s leading 3-year-olds. Tell Cartel in 2020 and Flash Bak last year won their first stakes in the Winter Derby and later won the Los Alamitos Super Derby in the autumn before finishing second in the Champion of Champions against older horses in December.

Tell Cartel has been retired to stud, while Flash Bak will be among the favorites for Sunday’s Brad McKinzie Los Alamitos Winter Championship.

Saturday’s Winter Derby field of 10 does not have any major stakes winners although Jess Being a Friend and Scoops Dynasty were second and third in major stakes in the fall.

Scoops Dynasty is the fastest qualifier for the Winter Derby on the basis of a two-length win in 19.72 seconds in time trials on Jan. 29. Trained by Monty Arrossa, Scoops Dynasty was third by a neck in the $130,625 AQHA Challenge Juvenile Championship at The Downs at Albuquerque in October.

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Arrossa said after the trials that Scoops Dynasty has changed through the winter.

“We thought he would mature into a real nice horse, and he’s gotten better since his 2-year-old year,” Arrossa told Los Alamitos publicity.

In the Winter Derby trial, Scoops Dynasty broke from the rail in a field of eight and was quickly clear under jockey Armando Cervantes, who has the mount on Saturday.

“He broke well and handled the rail,” Arrossa said.

For Saturday’s Winter Derby, Scoops Dynasty will start in post 3, with Jess Being a Friend in post 5.

Jess Being a Friend was second by two lengths to the highly regarded Bomb Cyclone in the Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity at 400 yards in December, but finished a troubled third after a poor start in the Jan. 29 Winter Derby trials, losing by a head to the well-regarded Apollitical Candy V.

Trained by Elana Andrade, Jess Being a Friend has won 2 of 8 starts, but is winless in three races at 400 yards. Andrade said after the Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity that she expected Jess Being a Friend to be stronger as a 3-year-old at longer distances.

Other runners in the final are the trial race winners A Famous Ribbon and Amadeus Mv, and Corona Yo, who was second by a head to Amadeus Mv as the 3-10 favorite.

The Los Alamitos Winter Derby is the last of 10 races on a program that begins at 6 p.m. Pacific. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.