FAIRPLEX : Derby Trial Comes Up All Roses

Jockey Fernando Valenzuela never believed he would be singing the praises of A Treek For Roses, a 3-year-old who ran in a $16,000 claimer as recently as last summer at Hollywood Park.

But Valenzuela turned into a believer Saturday at Fairplex Park, where he rode the son of Mogambo to a two-length victory over Sir Cutter Slew in the $50,000 Derby Trial Stakes, a 1 1/16-mile race for 3-year-olds.

“He (trainer Vladimir Cerin) kept telling me this horse would win a stakes some day, but I didn’t believe him,” Valenzuela said. “But now, I think he could become better than Boyo.”

Boyo was the horse Valenzuela rode to victory in this race a year ago, then came back and finished second to I Like To Win in the Pomona Derby a week later.

Although A Treek For Roses broke his maiden in a $32,000 claimer, Cerin pointed out that he had raced against some good horses such as Soul Of The Matter, Valiant Nature and Wekiva Springs.

“He wasn’t competitive, but he was in there,” Cerin said. “If he comes out of this race well, we’ll give Flying Sensation a shot in the (Pomona) Derby. His last two races were on turf, and horses who have been running on grass have been running well here.”

The only horse that Cerin was worried about was Sir Cutter Slew, so he told Valenzuela to settle in behind him.

That’s exactly how Valenzuela rode him, which put him in position to make his move at the top of the stretch.

Creston, the second choice in the five-horse race, finished third, another three lengths back.

Fairplex Notes

R Magic Moment, ridden by Joe Badilla, was the wire-to-wire winner of the $15,000 Classy Lassy Stakes for fillies and mares, 3-years-old and up. The winning time for the four-furlong Appaloosa race was 46 3/5 seconds. J.J. Precious finished second, two lengths back and New Recruit was third. . . . Prospect For Four, who was unbeaten in four races at Fairplex Park until his second-place finish to Nancys French Fry in the Phil D. Shepherd Stakes last Saturday, has been retired because of a broken sesmoid in his left front leg, according to trainer Caesar Dominguez. The 5-year-old gelded son of Native Prospector won eight races in 31 starts and earned $360,095.

TC Tomtyr, who has won three races in a row, is the even-money morning line favorite in today’s $7,500 Pomona Arabian Invitational Handicap. . . . Trainer Roger Stein says that Southern Truce, the 4-5 favorite who finished second in the E.B. Johnston Stakes, came out of the race in good shape and will probably run in the $100,000 Las Madrinas Handicap on Friday. . . . The next race for Diane’s Halo, winner of Friday’s CTBA Marian Stakes, will be in the Linda Vista Breeders’ Cup Handicap during the Oak Tree meeting at Santa Anita on Nov. 2 before she goes to Keeneland for the Princess Elizabeth Stakes, according to trainer David Cross.