LOS ALAMITOS : Dream A Secret Offers Fresh Look in Southern California Derby Trials

In the continuing competition among derby hopefuls, the newest entrant, Dream A Secret, also might be the most noticeable when he leaves the gate in the Southern California Derby trials on Friday.

A promising 2-year-old who finished 1993 with surgery, Dream A Secret returned to racing July 10 and finished second in an allowance race at Los Alamitos. He certainly will be the fresh horse in the trials and the finals of the Grade I race, scheduled Aug. 5.

Town Policy Handicap winner Artesia’s Special Gal, the Charles Bloomquist-trained Moo Vin First and Movados, a tough runner from the Brian Koriner barn, probably will be crowd favorites, considering their recent heroics. But all have worked hard this year.

Dream A Secret has run only one race this year, but in six as a 2-year-old, he won three before he was injured. And Bruce Hawkinson, who trains the colt for Ed Allred, said Dream A Secret might be better now than he was at his best last year.

He chipped both knees in the California Futurity, the break-out of the California Derby.

“We operated in November and turned him out,” Hawkinson said. “We got him back the first of May.”

Jim Lewis rode Dream A Secret in the colt’s debut last April. Before his next start, Lewis broke his collarbone and needed six weeks off. Danny Cardoza picked up the mount and rode Dream A Secret to three consecutive victories.

Then Cardoza retired at the end of last season and became the trainer for Vessels Stallion Farm, leaving Dream A Secret available.

“He’s a really nice colt,” Lewis said. “He doesn’t always break real well, but he comes flying late. Some horses are like that.”

Lewis already had two of the top horses in the 3-year-old division in Her First Cin and Rainbow Sun, winner of El Primero Derby. Dream A Secret gives him a third.

The fastest 10 from Friday’s two heats will compete in the Southern California Derby. Trials for the Governor’s Cup Futurity will be held Saturday.

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A new jockey to watch might be Richard Hawkinson, who begins his second week of riding with a victory in his only race.

Upon learning that Tim Murphy had taken off the mount on Undisclosed in last Saturday’s second race, Hawkinson ran to the Los Alamitos racing office to get his license.

The 27-year-old son of trainer Bruce Hawkinson had decided a month ago to become licensed. But he hadn’t done it when Undisclosed lost its jockey. With the added incentive of a good horse, Hawkinson had the mount in that evening’s second race within 20 minutes of being licensed.

Riding the second betting choice for trainer Earl Tobler, Hawkinson guided the 5-year-old gelding to a victory by a neck at 350 yards.

“I waited my whole life for this moment,” Hawkinson said. “I never thought I would feel this jazzed about it. But when I was about to win that race I could feel myself sweating from the excitement.”

Hawkinson was introduced to horses and the backstretch area by his father, who started as a jockey at Los Alamitos in 1951.

Richard Hawkinson began galloping at the track seven or eight years ago, but also worked as a steward’s assistant and an assistant on the starting gate. He waited to get his jockey’s license because he felt unable to commit to the profession.

“Two years ago I wouldn’t have believed he could have gotten the weight off,” his father said.

“If he stays with it and makes it as a jock, he’ll earn it.”

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Avison surged from the gate and never faltered in taking Saturday’s Chicado V Stakes Handicap.

Winning by three-quarters of a length in 19.59 seconds, Avison tied the stakes record set by Heisajoy in 1990 and gave trainer Connie Hall her second stakes victory of the weekend. Trucklin Six defeated two-time distance champion Griswald in the 870-yard Table Tennis Handicap on Friday.

The field for the Chicado V included last year’s champion gelding, Four Forty Blast, All-Star Jockey Challenge winner Childish, Shuefly Handicap winner Beinbetter and Make Mine Bud, who had defeated Avison twice this year.

“He broke awesome,” winning jockey Jose Badilla Jr. said. “From there he just played with this field.”

Trucklin Six, Hall’s other stakes winner, did not have it so easy. Breaking from the fourth post, Trucklin Six left the gate a step behind leaders Griswald and Speedy Lunch. Midway through the 870-yard race, jockey Eddie Garcia dropped Trucklin Six to the rail, allowing Griswald and Speedy Lunch to duel for the lead without him.

“Everyone went to the lead in the early going,” Garcia said. “I just wanted to stay close and give my horse a chance to win.”

Los Alamitos Notes

Arabian star Magna Terra Smoky won Friday’s Silk Designs Sprint Handicap at 4 1/2-furlongs only two weeks after winning the 1 1/8-mile Charles O. Pollard Handicap. . . . Claude Ramsey, executive director of the Arabian Horse Trust, announced that the 1994 Darley Awards, the breed’s highest honors, will be held at Los Alamitos next spring. . . . Racing Secretary Ron Church scheduled a second set of thoroughbred claiming stakes. The two 4 1/2-furlong sprints for $5,000 claimers will be run Aug. 5-6. Each offers a purse of $15,000.