Dashing Folly Running For Honor

As dampness and perspiration turned Tami Purcell’s curly brown hair into tiny, moist ringlets, she shivered in her silks in the Winners Circle in the coolness of a Southern California autumn evening. But there was no mistaking the veteran jockey was thrilled with her effort aboard Dashing Folly in the recent Los Alamitos Derby.

Dashing Folly was that as she and Purcell turned the $234,171 final into a folly, blowing away nine competitors with the fastest time recorded for the race since it was downgraded to 400 yards six years ago.

The stakes victory was the largest in Purcell’s career and reaffirmed her position as the top female quarter horse jockey in the nation. It also earned Dashing Folly--and Purcell--a berth in the Dec. 22 Champions of Champions, which carries a purse of $300,000.

“She just has so much maturity and soundness,” Purcell said of Dashing Folly. “She’s blessed with natural talent and wins her races right out of the gate.”

Never was that more true than in the Derby, which went off around midnight. Several horses with nervous riders aboard bolted getting into the starting gate and had to be reloaded before the race could begin. Dashing Folly sauntered into the gate, looked straight ahead and never moved.

There was a lot of bumping at the start, and at least one horse ran into the path of another. But Dashing Folly shot straight out of the gate and crossed the finish line 1 1/4 lengths ahead of her nearest competitor. The horse is unbeaten in nine starts and has won six consecutive stakes races, prompting trainer Donna McArthur to declare that Dashing Folly, who has won $220,601 in her career, should be considered for national Horse of the Year honors.

“A lot of times that title is based on earnings and she hasn’t got as much money as some of the other horses in the country, but I certainly would like to think that she’s a good candidate,” McArthur said.

McArthur left Texas this year to train full-time at Los Alamitos, and she and Purcell have made a good team, though Purcell remains based in Texas. The two will trade compliments all day about which has done more to enhance the Dashing Folly success story, but, fact of the matter is, Purcell says the filly is the best horse she has handled.

And Purcell, 36, has ridden several top horses. The 20-year veteran has become one of the nation’s elite riders. Based at Retama Park, not far from her home near Austin, she can have her pick when it comes to mounts because of her success, yet she has a special place for Dashing Folly.

“I’ve had a lot of favorite horses over the years,” she said. “A lot of exceptional horses. Toast To Dash is a great 2-year-old I have ridden. But this filly is the fastest I’ve ever had.”

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In a move that is expected to further help majority owner Edward C. Allred in consolidating control of race track operations, Rick Henson has been appointed president and general manager at Los Alamitos.

Henson, son of longtime Hollywood Park announcer Harry Henson, will oversee day to day simulcasting and live racing operations. He was general manager at Ruidoso Downs in New Mexico and most recently ran The Woodlands in Kansas.

Allred, who took financial control of the facility last spring, has surrendered his title of president and will assume the new title of chairman and chief executive officer.

Dick Feinberg, former general manager, will continue as vice president of the Los Alamitos Quarter Horse Racing Assn. and become assistant general manager, reporting to Henson.

Frank Sabato was also named vice president and plant superintendent of the course. He previously handled daytime satellite operations.

The front office shake-up is in keeping with Allred’s plan to reinvigorate the 46-year-old facility, which continues to benefit from an ongoing $12 million face-lift. Recently, Allred was granted a license by the state to run the winter harness racing meeting, in addition to the current quarter horse meeting, thereby giving him oversight of an entire year of racing. Previously, the harness racing meeting was run by a private contractor who leased out the race course.

Henson said he would continue to promote Allred’s philosophy that the track should appeal to businessmen and horsemen alike.

Los Alamitos Notes

IB Quick will be retired after running in the Champion of Champions. “IB Quick is still a sound horse but he is also an old horse,” trainer Jose Flores said of the 7-year-old who captured the Vessels Maturity earlier this season. “He has given us his all this season and I think it’s best for him if we retire him.”. . . No surprise here: Blane Schvaneveldt is the leading Los Alamitos trainer this season and looks untouchable in his bid for a ninth consecutive quarter horse training title. He isn’t known for training distance horses, but he picked up a small stakes victory recently from Sign It Super in an 870-yard race. It was the third stakes victory for that horse this season. . . . Sign It Super was ridden by Billy Peterson, the regular rider for the 1995 World Champion, Winalota Cash. Despite a leg injury and an uncharacteristic sixth-place finish in the Texas Classic last month, the 3-year-old gelding is still expected to make an appearance at Los Alamitos to run in trials for the Champion of Champions. . . . Speedy Empress, a horse that has been overshadowed by bigger names despite several second-place finishes in top national races, is training for a run at the Los Alamitos Million, its owners say. . . . Free Thinker, which finished second to Dashing Folly, was recently purchased by the Dutch Masters III syndicate from Edward C. Allred. . . . Jockey Dusty Stimpson, sidelined because of a broken bone in his left elbow, is expected to return in time to ride in trials of the Los Alamitos Million. He rode Primo High for trainer Elmer January to victory in the Breeders Futurity earlier this fall and is expected to handle the gelding in the trials. . . . Alex Bautista has become the first jockey to win at least 100 thoroughbred races in his career at Los Alamitos.