Tell Cartel looks to continue streak in Golden State Derby trials

In 2019, Powerful Favorite won the Los Alamitos Winter Derby and El Primero Del Ano Derby in the first months of the year. He later won the Golden State Derby in August and was second in the Los Alamitos Super Derby in November.

Powerful Favorite, trained by Chris O’Dell, had an admirer in fellow Los Al trainer Matt Fales.

This year, Fales has a 3-year-old on the same career path. Tell Cartel won the Winter Derby in February and El Primero Del Ano Derby in March. Sunday at Los Alamitos, Tell Cartel will be a short-priced favorite to win the second of two divisions of the Golden State Derby time trials.

The runners with the 10 fastest times, regardless of finishing position, advance to the 400-yard final on Aug. 16.

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Tell Cartel is owned by Mimi Wells, who bred the colt. Tell Cartel struggled at 2, often finding trouble at the start. This year, Tell Cartel’s gate manners have been much better. He is in the midst of a three-race winning streak that includes a trial for the El Primero Del Ano Derby.

Sunday, Tell Cartel is in the stronger of the two divisions. His rivals include the half-brothers Sass Mo Blue and Sass Go Blue, and Circle City, who was second in the Golden State Million Futurity last November.

Sass Mo Blue, a gelding by Apollitical Jess, won the $109,500 Los Alamitos Maiden Stakes at 350 yards in February. The Maiden Stakes is for 3-year-olds who had not won a race as of Dec. 1, 2019.

Sass Go Blue, a gelding by Separate Interest, won the Pacific Coast Quarter Horse Racing Association Breeders’ Futurity last October. He was fifth in the El Primero Del Ano Derby, but was disqualified and placed eighth for causing interference shortly after the start.

Sass Mo Blue and Sass Go Blue are out of Sass Me Blue, who was third in the 2015 Golden State Derby and won the Mildred Vessels Handicap for fillies and mares at Los Alamitos in January 2016.

Top-class Quarter Horse mares are often bred via embryo transfer, allowing for the registration of multiple foals in the same year.

Sunday’s first division of the trials is led by You Can Run, who was second in the Winter Derby, and Pay Me in Front, who was second in the James Smith Handicap at 350 yards on April 5.