Governor’s Cup Qualifier Has Right Name

What’s in a name?

The top qualifier for the $150,000 Governor’s Cup Futurity June 29 at Los Alamitos Race Course is a horse named Las Alamitos.

Trained by Jaime Gomez and ridden by Jim Lewis, the 2-year-old filly turned in a time of 17.62 seconds over the 350 yards for her third victory in three starts. A total of 56 horses competed for a spot in the finals, which also includes highly touted Secret Seraph.

“She’s a real good horse. She’ll run forever,” said Lewis about Las Alamitos. He also qualified Docs First Card in another trial, but probably will ride Las Alamitos in the final.

Las Alamitos, by First Down Dash, has run well in her short career. She won a trial to the Kindergarten Futurity last month, but her time of 18.07 wasn’t good enough to reach the finals.

The Dutch Masters III stable expects a lot out of Las Alamitos this time out.

“She’s a classy filly,” said Denny Boer of Dutch Masters III. “We were really disappointed that she didn’t make the finals to the Kindergarten Futurity because we feel she’s a very special and very talented 2-year-old.”

Uncas, which qualified second with Kip Didericksen aboard, is expected to push Las Alamitos. But Didericksen also was aboard Secret Seraph for his qualifying run, and he is expected to ride Secret Seraph again in the Futurity, according to trainer Bruce Hawkinson.

Hawkinson is convinced Secret Seraph will redeem itself in the Futurity after an embarrassing outing in the Kindergarten, where it was favored. In the Kindergarten, Secret Seraph flipped on his back in the starting gate.

“He’s as good as anything I’ve had,” Hawkinson, a 30-year veteran, said. “I’ve always liked that horse. It was awfully good of him to win that trial.”

A lot may be riding on Secret Seraph, which is owned by Edward Allred, the majority owner of Los Alamitos Race Course. Allred has had a string of bad luck this spring at his track. While many of his horses have qualified well in trials, none has won a final.

Other qualifiers for the Futurity include Feminista, Primo High, SDS Dash, Don Callender, Rainbows Brite and Mister Katella.

*

I.B. Quick, ridden by little-known Eddie Aceves, posted the best time among qualifiers (19.79) for the $128,625 Vessels Maturity, to be held June 28.

A total of 19 horses, 4 years or older, competed in two trials last Saturday for 10 starting positions. The winner of the Maturity receives an automatic berth in the biggest race of its kind for older horses, the $300,000 Champion Of Champions Dec. 22 at Los Alamitos.

Trained by Jose Flores, I.B. Quick outlasted Blushing By, Dicey Secret and champion colt Meter Me Gone, all of whom qualified.

“[The horse] broke extremely hard. I just let him run his race,” Aceves said. “The way Dicey Secret ran at the start I thought for sure we were in for a battle right to the wire. Now that she has an outing under her belt, I expect [Dicey Secret] to be one of our toughest rivals in the finals.”

Aceves races sparingly at Los Alamitos, picking up a mount here or there. Seldom do his rides bring him to the winner’s circle, so his presence aboard the fastest qualifier for the Maturity surprised a few people. In fact, when track personnel tried to contact Aceves immediately after the trial victory, he already had cleared his things out of the jockey room.

“He has won, maybe, five races here, so not many people know anything about him,” track spokesman John Petti said.

Other horses in the race include Pies Royal Request, winner of the second trial; Darlenes Sugar, The Money Crunch, Newport Fancy, First Down Laveaux and Flashback Dash.

Los Alamitos notes

Jockey Ralph Seville was released from a doctor’s care Tuesday, and, although he is listed on tonight’s program, he probably will take the rest of the week off, he said. Seville, 30, sustained a concussion in a training accident Saturday morning when the 2-year-old gelding he was aboard made an abrupt left turn out of the starting gate and whipped Seville’s head against the rail. . . . Jockey Billy Peterson, returning from a bruised pelvis sustained in a spill at Los Alamitos several weeks ago, rode last year’s top quarter horse, Winalota Cash, to the title in the Remington Park Derby in Oklahoma over Blazin Brian and Elegant Dasher. Winalota Cash, expected to make a West Coast swing this fall, finished second to Elegant Dasher in Derby trials. . . . Trainer Blane Schvaneveldt earned his 3,100th victory last Saturday when Rigorous won the first race.