Zure Hope Again Breaks Fast, Wins the Los Alamitos Derby

Zure Hope Again scored a half-length victory in the 35th running of the $115,000 Los Alamitos Derby Saturday night at the Los Alamitos Race Course, establishing a stakes record with a winning time of 21.36 seconds.

Ridden by Henry Garcia, Zure Hope Again broke with the leaders, then gamely held off a late surge by favored Shawnes Favorite in the field of 10 three-year-olds.

“He loves that quarter mile,” said trainer Baffert about Zure Hope Again, an A Zure Request gelding who had the second fastest qualifying time of 21.74 seconds in winning his trial last week. “This horse should be a steeplechase horse. He is a big horse, close to 16 hands. He is a big, massive horse.”

Zure Hope Again added $59,800 to his previous earnings of $170,277. Shawnes Favorite picked up $25,300 for second while finishing three-quarters of a length ahead of 30-1 outside Passem Dirty, who earned $13,800 for finishing third. Send The Gals Candy, the early leader, was fourth.

Zure Hope Again, sent off at 7-2, paid $10.00, $4.20 and $3.60. Shawnes Favorite, the 8-5 favorite, paid $3.60 and $2.60, while Passem Dirty returned $6.60.

Last year, Zure Hope Again won the Breeders Futurity at Fairplex Park and earned $159,552 during a 1987 campaign in which he won 6 of 11 races.

The Derby victory was Baffert’s fourth win of the night.