This Time, Be A Bono May Be Second to None

Be A Bono, who has won seven of eight -- his only loss was in his last start, on Oct. 23 -- is expected to be the favorite tonight in the $604,450 Los Alamitos Super Derby.

A 400-yard race for 3-year-olds, the Derby is the first of two Grade I races at Los Alamitos this weekend. On Sunday, 2-year-olds will run in the $1-million Golden State Futurity.

Second to A Regal Choice in a Super Derby trial, Be A Bono is the 7-5 choice on Ed Burgart’s morning line. The winner of the 2003 Golden State Futurity and the Los Alamitos Winter Derby earlier this year, Be A Bono will be seeking his fourth Grade I win for owner Spencer Childers and trainer Dan Francisco.

“We let A Regal Choice steal a big lead on us early,” Francisco said. “My horse finished super so we were pleased with his performance. If he was going to get beat, I would rather it be in the trials than in the final.”

A Regal Choice, who won the Los Alamitos Million and was the fastest qualifier for the Super Derby, and Hawkish, who has consecutive wins, are the co-second choices at 3-1. Myster Quick Fix, Babe On The Fly, Jesse James Jr, Deeheiress, Righteous Brother, Corona For Me and Summertime Fly complete the field.

In the Golden State Futurity, trainer Paul Jones holds a very strong hand. He will saddle five of the 10 horses in the 400-yard contest.

Hardly Hateful, who was second to Thewayouwantmeto in the Rainbow Futurity at Ruidoso Downs on Aug. 19, was the fastest qualifier, completing the distance in 19.595 seconds. Owned by Vessels Stallion Farm and trained by Jones, the 2-year-old Fishers Down filly will be ridden by Cody Jensen as she looks for her second win in five starts.

Jones will also start Louisiana Eye Opener, Fantastic Jessie, Get Down Perry and Dutch Schultz. Like Frankie And Me, Ocean Runaway, Chicks Like Us, Gulfstream Five and Court Etiquette complete the field. Court Etiquette is trained by John Bassett, who has won the Golden State Futurity three of the last five years.