There’s Only One Sure Bet in La Primera Del Ano Derby

The only sure bet in tonight’s $260,800 La Primera Del Ano Derby at Los Alamitos Race Course is that one horse will win its first major stakes race--guaranteed.

None of the fillies in tonight’s Derby have ever won a major stakes race. This is not to say that these 3-year-olds never have run or finished in the money in a stakes race, only that none of have ever been able to put their noses across the wire first.

But don’t immediately dismiss this bunch of fillies. Several of the top qualifiers are solid, well-bred horses who have competed in top contests for 2 and 3-year-olds.

The fastest qualifier to tonight’s Derby, She Can Do It Too, who posted a 20.16-second run in 400 yards, won the Golden State Futurity Consolation last summer. Artesia, second-fastest in the trials with a time of 20.17, qualified for the Golden State Futurity last month and ran fifth in a high-caliber field that included Eastex, Easy Austin and Lanes Leinster.

Because of her qualifying time, She Can Do It Too, trained by Barry Woodhouse and ridden by Joe Ruiz, probably will be favored tonight, but Artesia is the horse to watch.

“We have high hopes for Artesia,” trainer Russell Harris said. “I think she’s the best filly in the race. She has more class, more money and more experience than the others.”

She Can Do It Too and Artesia ran in the same Derby trial and Artesia, who drew the No. 1 post near the rail, only lost to She Can Do It Too by a hundreth of a second. She Can Do It Too has only 5 starts, 2 wins and 1 third to her record compared to Artesia’s 13 starts, 3 wins, 4 seconds and 1 third. She Can Do It Too has career earnings of $18,852. Artesia has more than $108,000.

In the Golden State Futurity and the Fabrege Futurity last August, Artesia proved she could run well against some of the toughest, richest quarter horses in the country.

Before the Fabrege last summer jockey John Creager, who rode Artesia in the Fabrege trials and final, compared the black filly to Kipty Jet, saying she seems to be getting better all the time.

But tonight, Artesia drew the No. 1 post again and may have a difficult time running along the rail. However, Creager, who won the jockey title last summer at Los Alamitos and is the leading rider at this meet, will be aboard Artesia again tonight and doesn’t see the inside post as a major obstacle.

“She (Artesia) had the rail in the trials and broke a little slow,” he said. “But if she breaks well, I think she can win. She’s a good filly.”

Because neither of these fillies has ever won a stakes race, picking a winner in tonight’s Derby is really guesswork.

The other entrants in tonight’s 400-yard contest, in order of qualifying times, are: Honor the Doctor (20.18), trained by Dan Francisco and ridden by Danny Cardoza; Streak O Lightening (20.26), with Blane Schvaneveldt and jockey Roman Figuero; Mito Kiss (20.28), also trained by Schvaneveldt and ridden by Jerry Nicodemus; Fancy Foliage (20.31), with trainer James Williams and jockey Joe Martinez; Lanes Lady Azure (20.35), trained by Kent Daly and ridden by James Lackey; Excella (20.35), trained by James Maple with jockey Steve Treasure; Really Dashing (20.38), another Schvaneveldt-trained filly with the veteran Kenny Hart aboard; and, Night Tracks (20.40), with trainer C.W. “Bubba” Cascio and jockey Bruce Pilkenton.