CALL ME FISHER IS THE WINNER OF THE ADEQUAN CALIFORNIA FINAL

CYPRESS, CA. - AUGUST 22, 2010 - He came, he saw, he got his ticket to Adequan Derby Challenge. Jim and Marilyn Helzer and Patricia Potts’ Call Me Fisher, who arrived at Los Alamitos Race Course only a week prior to the trials to the Adequan California Derby Challenge, emerged as the winner of the $42,100 final after holding off Jesus Avila and Jesus Cuevas’ Hezstraightin by a head in Sunday’s 400-yard final.

A son of Fishers Dash out of the Rare Form mare Rare Peppermint, Call Me Fisher covered the distance in :19.531 under the guidance of jockey G.R. Carter. Trained by Cody Joiner, the bay gelding earned $17,429 for the win and with the win has now qualified to the Grade 1 Adequan Derby Challenge to be held at the Fair Grounds in Louisiana on Friday, November 19.

Call Me Fisher was first or second during the entire race, but he had to overcome a few challenges along the way. The gelding first had to wait about five minutes behind the starting gate after In A Separate Class was scratched before the start of the race. Once the race got underway, Call Me Fisher broke in and bumped with Scoville, but he quickly recovered and finished with a tremendous rush to catch Hezstraightin.

“He got a little hot warming up and then delay made him a little mad,” Carter said. “He still broke nicely but then he got a little flat on me halfway through the race, but finished strong. I think the reason he was hot during the warm ups is that Fishers Dash blood. Fishers Dash’s blood runs hot and I think that came out of Call Me Fisher. I was not that concern about the delay but I could see that my horse was getting a little madder. I guess you could say that I was concern about the fact that he wasn’t happy, but once the race started he was okay.”

Call Me Fisher got the job done, a result that brought a great deal of satisfaction to Joiner.

“Sleepy Gilbreath sent me this horse in great shape,” Joiner had said a few weeks ago.

“When Mr. Helzer called about sending me this horse it was a great honor,” Joiner said after winning the finale. “ It’s a pleasure to be able to come through for the Helzers and breeder Patricia Potts. I’ve appreciated this great opportunity and I believe this horse will be very competitive in the Adequan final. I don’t know how long he will remain at Los Alamitos, but I am pleased to have had the chance to train this horse.”

Hezstraightin, who was ridden by Francisco Rubio for trainer Adan Farias, earned $7,578 for his second place finish. Gran Special Sa, Scoville, AB Another Runner, Secret Battleground, A Game, Chasin Savanna B, and My Elite Jessie completed the field.

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