Tell Cartel part of tough field in Breeders' Derby trials

Tell Cartel’s early success in 2020 proved impossible to sustain in August.

In February and March, Tell Cartel won the Los Alamitos Winter Derby and the El Primero Del Ano Derby to stake a claim as California’s leading 3-year-old. His status was dented by a fourth-place finish in the Golden State Derby on Aug. 16.

:: Want to get your Past Performances for free? Click to learn more.

This fall, Tell Cartel will have opportunities to regain a prominent position, beginning with a time trial on Saturday for the Pacific Coast Quarter Horse Racing Association Breeders’ Derby. The 400-yard Breeders’ Derby has a final on Oct. 2.

Tell Cartel runs in the second of two trial races on Saturday, race 8, and has drawn into a much tougher division that seems like a stakes race in its own right. The competition includes You Can Run, who was third in the Golden State Derby; Suite Expectations, third in the Los Alamitos Oaks in March; and Runforyourlife, who won the Golden State Million Futurity last November and was fourth in the Governor’s Cup Derby on July 26.

The 10 runners with the fastest qualifying times from the two trials, regardless of finishing positions, will advance to the final. It would not be a surprise if five or six runners from the second division advanced to the final.

The first division, the seventh race on an eight-race program, is led by Up For Speed and Javalina Cantina, who were second and fifth in the Governor’s Cup Derby, and Chayito Cartel, who won the Kindergarten Futurity in May 2019.

The PCQHRA Breeders’ Derby is the first of three derbies in the final months of the year at Los Alamitos. The Los Alamitos Super Derby has trials on Oct. 17 and a final on Nov. 8. The Super Derby is the toughest of the late season derbies at Los Alamitos and annually plays a role in determining division titles.

The Southern California Derby has trials on Nov. 29 and a final on Dec. 20.

Tell Cartel, owned by Mimi Wells and trained by Matt Fales, was beaten three-quarters of a length in the Golden State Derby by Circle City, a candidate for the Super Derby. Tell Cartel has won 6 of 15 starts in his career.

Suite Expectations, one of six fillies in the two trial races, won an allowance race at 300 yards on Aug. 15 in a prep for Saturday’s trial and her first start since May.