Stablemates square off in Pacific Coast Quarter Horse Racing Association Breeders’ Derby

Stablemates J Fire Up and Moonie Blues were first and second in the Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity last December. The race had a purse of $1,745,450, the track’s richest prize of the year-round Quarter Horse season.

J Fire Up and Moonie Blues meet for the first time this year in Friday’s $152,000 Pacific Coast Quarter Horse Racing Association Breeders’ Derby at Los Alamitos, a 400-yard race in which Moonie Blues may hold an advantage.

Moonie Blues set the fastest qualifying time of 19.72 seconds in time trials on Sept. 15, winning by a length over qualifier On Our Way. In the preceding race that evening, J Fire Up won a division of the trials by a nose over qualifier Black Fryday in 19.84 seconds.

Both Moonie Blues and J Fire Up are trained by Jaime Gomez. J Fire Up was the champion 2-year-old filly of 2017. Aside from the Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity, J Fire Up won the Governor’s Cup and Golden State Million futurities in 2017.

Moonie Blues has accomplished more this year, finishing third in the Los Alamitos Winter Derby in February, La Primera Del Ano Derby in March, and Golden State Derby in August. J Fire Up was fourth after a poor start to Black Fryday in the Governor’s Cup Derby in July, her only stakes appearance this year.

Moonie Blues will be ridden by Ramon Sanchez, while J Fire Up, who will be ridden by Jose Nicasio. They have the outside two post positions in the field of 10.

Other notable runners are Jess My Kiss, who won the Los Alamitos Winter Derby but was a troubled fourth behind J Fire Up in the PCQHRA Breeders’ Derby trials after sustaining a bump at the start; Chance to Fire and Dont Foose With Me, who were second and third in the Governor’s Cup Derby; and The Revenant, a trial race winner in 19.92 seconds.