LOS ALAMITOS : Ah Sigh Continues 1994’s Winning Pace

Ah Sigh was impressive in her 1995 debut Saturday night, when she posted the fastest qualifying time for the $102,000 La Primera Del Ano Derby.

Ah Sigh, 1994’s champion 2-year-old filly, won eight of nine starts last year, running third in the Governor’s Cup Futurity. The black filly earned $236,571, winning three major futurities at Los Alamitos.

And she shows no signs of slowing in 1995. With regular rider John Creager up, Ah Sigh sprinted to a two-length lead in the first of the two trials after breaking from the outside post position in the nine-horse field.

Running the 400 yards effortlessly under a hand ride, Ah Sigh cruised to a 2 1/4-length victory in 19.83 seconds.

According to Creager, Ah Sigh, who showed surprising maturity as a 2-year-old, is bigger and stronger than ever.

“It’d take a pretty good horse to outrun her right now,” he said. “A horse like this runs into the bit so hard, she’d scare you if you were on her.”

Trainer Charlie Bloomquist agreed but refused to let his hopes get too high before the trials.

“I knew she was better than last year,” he said. “But you’d have to be made out of stone not to get a little worried about it. It’s still a horse race.”

Ah Sigh, by First Down Dash, is owned by Frank and Asaye Nakamura’s Ah Sigh Enterprises. Frank Nakamura also bred the filly, whom he named after his wife.

The qualifiers for the May 20 La Primera Del Ano Derby: Ah Sigh, 19.83; Miss Churchill, 19.90; Jungle Raised, 19.96; Perfectly, 20.00; Artesias Merridoc, 20.04; Shiney Miles, 20.19; Waymaker Miss, 20.19; Honey Who, 20.20; Merry Talkalot, 20.21, and Queenish, 20.22.

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Trainers with male horses in the trials for the El Primero Del Ano Derby went through some anxious moments when the electronic timer malfunctioned during the first division. Both races were hand-timed.

By order of the stewards, the first five finishers in each trial, rather than the 10 fastest horses, qualified for the May 19 final. The finalists: A Dash Of Beduino, Hot Diggity Dash, Yuubasan, Dash Of Cider, Better Than Best, Meter Me Gone, Fruitstand Johnny, Lejerito, Duardo and The Firm.

Los Alamitos Notes

Three-time distance champion Griswold is expected to make his 1995 debut for trainer Daryn Charlton in the $20,000 James S. Smith Memorial Handicap Saturday night. Other top 870-yard horses nominated include Mr Diddy Wa Diddy, Speedy Lunch and Firstdown Touchdown. . . . Jockey Eddie Garcia won four races Sunday, staying atop the jockey standings with 22 victories.

Jockey Guillermo Gutierrez, last year’s leading thoroughbred rider, underwent shoulder surgery last week after having been injured in an accident last Thursday. He is expected to be out of action for several weeks. . . . Trials for the first major futurity of the year, the Kindergarten, will be held Friday night. First post is 7:15 p.m.