 Scott
Martinez photo / story by Ty Wyant
Noconi Shows New Mexico Form at Los Al
Cypress, CA – Jan. 29, 2012 - R.D. Hubbard and Johnny T.L. Jones
Jr’s homebred Noconi made a statement that his championship form in
New Mexico also stands out against older grade 1 horses at Los
Alamitos when he set the fastest qualifying time to the to the Grade
1, $226,050 Los Alamitos Winter Championship on Sunday night.
In his only other start at the Southern California track, as a
three-year-old, he was fifth in the 2007 Champion of Champions to
Jess You And I.
The winner of the Los Alamitos Winter Championship on February 19
earns the year’s first invitation to the Champion of Champions in
December.
Ridden by Ramon Sanchez, Noconi broke with his competition in his
400-yard Winter Championship trial and then flashed his customary
closing charge to draw out to the three quarter length win in
:19.685. Walkin Bac was second and Feature Honor finished third in
the trial while neither could handle Noconi over the last half of
the race.
The Paul Jones-trained Noconi made amends for a lackluster
sixth-place finish in the Zia Park Championship as the 4-5 favorite.
In that December 4 race over 440 yards the seven-year-old gelding
was in striking position, however never unleashed his closing rush.
A gelding by Mr Jess Perry and broodmare of the year My Dashing
Lady, Noconi dominated in his two starts at Ruidoso Downs last
summer. He won the Higheasterjet Handicap by one-half length and the
prevailed by a neck in the All American Gold Cup over champion Time
For A Cigar at 440 yards.
An earner of nearly $1,278,833, Noconi was the 2008 champion
three-year-old gelding and the 2010 champion aged gelding.
Brad Lohr and Daniel Reynoso’s Senor Toby raced to his seventh
straight win and scored the second-fastest qualifying time of
:19.710. The Jamie Gomez-trained gelding by Mighty Invictus won his
trial by one-half length and makes his first grade 1 appearance in
the Winter Championship.
Senor Toby was undefeated last year from six starts. He started his
streak with a maiden win and then rolled through the last half of
2011 with four-straight minor stakes victories.
Rhonda and Dawn List’s venerable champion Jess You And I started
what is expected to be his final season of racing with a
late-running trial win. He posted the third-fastest qualifying time
of :19.736 with Sanchez up. Sanchez must now choose between two
classy champions from the Jones barn — Noconi and Jess You And I —
for his Winter Championship mount.
An eight-year-old gelding by Feature Mr Jess, Jess You And I has
earned more than $1.8 million and could threaten Stolis Winner’s
all-time leading money earning mark of $2,235,161 and the record of
10 career grade 1 stakes wins held by Dash For Speed and
Refrigerator.
Johnny Trotter’s Dash Back Perry won the fourth trial for trainer
Joe Bassett with the fourth-fastest qualifying time of :19.740. The
Mr Jess Perry daughter defeated a game Southern California Derby
winner El Aguila Real by a head.
Dash Back Perry raced to her third straight win at Los Alamitos. Her
previous two wins came in stakes against distaff competition in the
Grade 2 Las Damas Handicap and the Grade 1 Charger Bar Handicap.
The Winter Championship qualifiers are Noconi (:19.685), Senor Toby
(:19.736), Jess You And I (:19.736), Dash Back Perry (:19.740), BF
Farm Boy (:19.759), El Aguila Real (:19.759), Walkin Bac (:19.811),
Parsons Rock (:19.814), Feature Honor (:19.826) and Sparky E Boy
(:19.843).
|
