LOS ALAMITOS : Trainer Ekins Says Waverino Ready for Stiffer Competition

Dennis Ekins guided Tolltac to divisional championships in 1983 and 1984 and along the way won some of the most prestigious races at Los Alamitos.

Ekins’ accomplishments with Tolltac were reflected by the colt’s winnings of more than $1.3 million. Only 19 quarter horses have earned more than $1 million, and Tolltac is among the seven that have done it without winning the All-American Futurity, which offers $1 million to the winner.

This year, Ekins has Waverino, a 3-year-old with championship aspirations who won his first major stake on Saturday, the $125,000 Los Alamitos Derby. It was the first Los Alamitos Derby victory for Ekins and owners Ed and Colette Lisenby, and gives the trainer a horse to watch in the coming derbies.

Waverino won the Los Alamitos Derby by a nose over Time To Lead, a non-winner in five starts who was only a nose better than Sir Austin Duncan. Ridden by leading rider Kip Didericksen, Waverino took the early lead, then held off the fast-closing Time To Lead. The 400-yard time of 19.96 seconds was 1/100th of a second slower than Waverino’s qualifying time on May 16, which led all finalists.

An early starter, Waverino won the Dixie Downs Futurity in April of 1991 at St. George, Utah, giving Ekins the idea that Waverino could be one of the West’s leading 2-year-olds. Illnesses and injuries kept the horse from being 100% for most of 1991, even though he did qualify for the Bay Meadows Futurity last July. He finished the year with three victories and earnings of more than $30,000. Many thought he was capable of better.

The Los Alamitos Derby trial and final were his first two starts of 1992 and impressed the trainer.

“We always thought he was a good horse; he just hasn’t had the opportunity to show it,” Ekins said. “It was gratifying to see what we thought he could do.”

Unlike thoroughbred racing, which runs most of its major derbies early in the calendar year, most of quarter horse racing’s derbies are held in the summer and fall. The schedule helps explain why such 2-year-old stars of last year as Corona Chick, Dash Ta Fame, Holland Ease, Ed Grimley and All-American Futurity winner Royal Quick Dash have yet to start in derbies this spring. Corona Chick, last year’s 2-year-old champion, will start later this meeting, according to trainer Frank Monteleone. Dash Ta Fame will not start until August, and the other three are based at Ruidoso Downs in New Mexico this summer.

Ekins, who plans to start Waverino in the Dash For Cash Derby trials at Los Alamitos in July, will notice the competition toughening with each derby this year.

“I think he’s a contender,” Ekins said of Waverino. “I think we have a horse that will represent us well. We’re looking for big things from him.”

The 2-year-old stakes events at Los Alamitos began last Saturday with the trials of the $75,000 Miss Kindergarten Futurity for colts and geldings.

This is the first year that the 350-yard Kindergarten, first run in 1955, has been subdivided. It is the first of two futurities this summer, preceding the Dash For Cash Futurity in July.

Many of the trial starters have raced in the first month of the season, and some are quickly drawing comparisons to older champions.

The most impressive filly in the first month of the season has been Pip Pip, who was sired by Dash For Cash, the sport’s leading sire. She is the first foal produced by Sompinlikaglass, who won more than $380,000 and the 1988 Las Damas Handicap. Pip Pip won her only start by 2 1/2 lengths on May 15, running the 300 yards in 15.70 seconds, the fastest time at the distance this season.

Pip Pip is trained by Blane Schvaneveldt, who won three consecutive runnings of the Kindergarten in the ‘70s. The filly, purchased by owner Abigail Kawanakoa for $67,000 at a dispersal sale in Glencoe, N.M., in 1990, is also eligible for the All-American Futurity, but Schvaneveldt is more concerned with the early summer than Labor Day.

“She looks like the best I’ve had in a little while,” Schvaneveldt said. “She hasn’t had a problem. She’s been perfect.”

Several colts and geldings have stood out in the first month, and one has even left for richer races in the Midwest. Four Forty Blast, a half brother to Holland Ease, impressed owners Denny Boer and James Streelman enough in early May for them to send him to Oklahoma for the trials of the $500,000 Heritage Place Futurity this month.

First Down Express has the fastest time by a colt this season, his maiden victory on May 23 in 15.72 seconds. He is owned by Patty Bello and Alberta Elliott and is trained by Daryn Carlton. Jim Lewis rode the colt in the maiden race.

Once again, Schvaneveldt’s stable is stocked with talented older horses. The 58-year-old trainer, who led the nation’s quarter horse trainers in earnings last year with more than $1.6 million, won Friday’s $21,250 Shue Fly Handicap with Sweeten The Pot, a 4-year-old gelding who also won the Kaweah Bar Handicap in early May.

Schvaneveldt, who has won eight of the last 10 Shue Flies, was at Remington Park in Oklahoma City, tending another division of his stable.

Sweeten The Pot won by three-quarters of a length over Shawnes Diamond, who was a neck faster than the Schvaneveldt-trained Racin Vike. Sweeten The Pot, ridden by Juan Limon, was timed in 17.43 seconds for the 350 yards, breaking the stakes records of 17.5 seconds set by Vandy’s Flash in 1960.

As impressive as Sweeten The Pot’s victory was, Schvaneveldt also has Refrigerator, the champion 2-year-old of 1989, waiting in the wings. Refrigerator, who was third last December in the Champion of Champions, was nominated for the Shue Fly, but will instead start in the Vessels Maturity trials on June 13.

The 4-year-old gelding has earnings of $1,355,211, seventh on the all-time list and $514,195 behind Eastex, the leader.

Nolan Ryan made his Los Alamitos debut on Friday and gave spring training a whole new meaning. The 2-year-old quarter horse, named for the star pitcher of the Texas Rangers, worked 220 yards in 12.2 seconds, the fastest workout for a 2-year-old so far this year.

The quarter horse is also from Texas. He was sired by Ronas Ryon, the 1986 All-American Futurity winner, and is out of Caralot, who also produced Streakin Cara, winner of the 1989 Las Damas Handicap at Los Alamitos. Streakin Cara, who also finished second in the Champion of Champions that year, was trained by Marshall Ferrell, who also trains Nolan Ryan for Christine Bessent of San Saba, Tex.

Ferrell indicated that he might start Nolan Ryan in mid-June, which is about the same time the Texas Rangers open a three-game stand down Katella Avenue at Anaheim Stadium, against theAngels.