LOS ALAMITOS : Meter Me Gone Succeeds This Time

For the second time in three years, a California horse has traveled to Ruidoso Downs in Ruidoso, N.M., for the All American weekend and come away a winner. Meter Me Gone won last Sunday’s Grade 1 All American Derby, following in the hoofprints of A Classic Dash, who won the prestigious All American Futurity in 1993.

Meter Me Gone has had a successful career at Los Alamitos, having won the Quarter Horse Breeders Classics Far West Futurity and Town Policy Handicap. But the colt also has a reputation as a hard-luck horse.

“He hasn’t done what he was supposed to do,” said Frank (Scoop) Vessels of Vessels Stallion Farm, which owns Meter Me Gone. “It’s a pleasure coming up here. First, to run against this kind of company is really nice, and then to be able to win is really something special.”

Jockey Kenny Hart, who has ridden the colt in most of his starts, was on Meter Me Gone in the All American Derby. They drew the inside post position in the nine-horse field.

“He has a tendency to want to get out,” Hart said. “I was really worried about that all week.”

The No. 1 post position turned out to be a blessing for Meter Me Gone. Gotum Lookin, in post position 2, broke out, and Mildly Sinful, in the No. 9 hole, broke in, sandwiching most of the field.

“He seemed to break very well, which is unlike him,” Vessels said. “Then halfway down the racetrack, all the other horses from the two to the nine got in and crowded each other and he was out there by himself.”

Meter Me Gone cruised to a 1 1/2-length victory in the 440-yard race, stopping the clock in 21.36 seconds.

Meter Me Gone, who is trained by Bob Gilbert in California and was trained by Danny Cardoza in New Mexico, will be returning to Los Alamitos for the rest of the season. With his victory, Meter Me Gone earned a berth in the Champion of Champions in December.

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Edward Allred’s Duardo heads a list of 10 3-year-olds qualified for the $95,500 Governor’s Cup Derby tonight at Los Alamitos. Duardo, who ran for a claiming tag of $8,000 as recently as Aug. 6, won the third of three 400-yard trials on Aug. 25 with the top qualifying time of 19.94 seconds. The gelding also defeated champion Ah Sigh, who was fractious in the gates and broke poorly.

Qualifiers for the restricted Grade I race: Duardo, 17.94; Ah Sigh and Chenilles Dasher, 17.96; Coast Express, 20.01; Dicey Secret, 20.04; Past Due Revenue and Dash King, 20.06; Maids Angel, 20.07; Tylerette, 20.08, and Lejerito, 20.10.

Los Alamitos Notes

Donald Ryan’s Costal Classic, at 15-1, upset fastest qualifier and favored Chickasis in the $109,000 California Sires Cup Futurity last Friday night. Ridden by Jim Lewis, who recently returned from an ankle injury, Costal Classic made a late run at Chickasis, who faded to third. Splash Bac finished second by a head. . . . In the $20,000 Katella Handicap Saturday night, Speedy Lunch justified his billing as the top distance horse in the nation by winning the 870-yard stake by nearly two lengths while carrying the high weight of 127 pounds. . . . My Debut ran the fastest 350-yard time of the season, 17.43 seconds, when he won the $12,000 Lakeside Overnight Handicap Monday night. . . . Blushing By earned her second stakes victory of the year in Monday’s $12,000 Bakersfield Overnight Handicap, defeating Joes Tol by a head and covering the 350 yards in 17.60 seconds.