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TREVOR’S CLEVER RETURNS IN DERBY
Pomona, Calif. (Sept.18, 2008) – Trevor’s Clever, who used his come-from-behind style to win the opening day $65,000 Jim Kostoff Stakes at 1 1/16 miles, will get a bit more ground to work with this Saturday when he meets six rivals in the 54th running of $100,000 Pomona Derby at “about” 1 1/8 miles.
Conditioned by Ted H. West, who begins Thursday’s program tied for the lead in the trainer’s race with Victor Garcia at five winners each, Trevor’s Clever is the most accomplished runner in the race, having also won the $76,000 Alydar Stakes at Hollywood Park in May.
However, in the Kostoff Stakes, formerly known as the Derby Trial Stakes, a fast early pace of 22 4/5 , 45 4/5 and 1:12 helped Trevor’s Clever launch his winning bid. But the Pomona Derby field doesn’t appear to have the s ame kind of quickness and the early tempo could be slower.
“The pace scenario is always important for Trevor’s Clever,” said Ted West, father and assistant to Ted. H. West. “He needs a fast pace to do his best because that’s the way he runs. But over a bullring, like Pomona, 1 1/16 miles actually is a little short for him. The 1 1/8 miles will work in his favor. He’s doing great and I think he’s a legitimate stakes horse in California.”
Among Trevor’s Clever’s six rivals, Dakota Phone, Dreamed Day, Quarter Moon and Bingham are coming into the Pomona Derby off victories, while English-bred Cee Bargara finished second on the Del Mar turf last time and Pistol Pete Affair was fourth in the Kostoff in his most recent race.
DASH DOT DASH A DOUBLE STAKES WINNER
Ridden by jockey Martin Pedroza, Dash Dot Dash became the first two-time stakes winner of the Fairplex Park meet, winning Wednesday’s $65,000 Black Swan Stakes gate to wire in 1:46.73 for 1 1/16 miles, her first attempt at the distance game.
Earlier in the season the 2-year-old daughter of Put It Back used the same tactics, scoring wire to wire in the Bustles and Bows Stakes, while traversing 6 ½ furlongs in 1:18 2/5. She now has won three of her last four races and banked $103,108.
Finishing second to Dash Dot Dash, was Vikkilee, who as a maiden was making only her second career start and first over a distance of ground.
Both 2-year-old fillies are trained by Vladimir Cerin.
“Martin is a great judge of pace and he got the job done,” said Cerin. “And for Vikkilee it was only her second start. She ran great. There wasn’t a maiden race for her in the first (condition) book at Oak Tree, so I thought this would be a good spot.”
QUINONEZ TO RIDE TODAY
Alonso Quinonez, tied with Agapito Delgadillo for second in the jockey standings with 11 winners each, is expected to ride this afternoon after taking off his mounts on Wednesday because of a freak home accident.
On Wednesday morning the 24-year-old rider telephoned the Fairplex stewards and informed them he could not ride because on Tuesday evening while he was cooking in his kitchen, he had spilled hot grease on himself.
Quinonez has five mounts on today’s 11-race program.
MONTEHERMOSO ESCAPES INJURY
Jockey Edgar Montehermoso escaped serious injury on Wednesday when he was thrown from his mount, Bar JF Speed-N-Ticket, at the conclusion of the first race, a 220 yard sprint for mules.
Montehermoso was pulling up Bar JF Speed-N-Ticket about a furlong after the race when the mule suddenly ducked outward, tossing the jockey heavily to the ground.
He was taken to Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center, complaining of a tingling sensation in his arm, but was released by mid-afternoon.
THERE’S NO CATCHING PEDROZA
With five days remaining on the Fairplex racing schedule jockey Martin Pedroza already has clinched his 10th consecutive riding championship, and 11th overall.
The Panama City, Panama, native, rode two more winners on Wednesday, Ghosttrapper ($3) and Dash Dot Dash ($5.60), giving him 36 for the meet. Last year he defeated Tyler Baze for the jockey title, 35-31.
Pedroza’s lowest winner output in Pomona came in 1989 when he wound up in a three-way tie for the crown with Corey Black and David Flores at 19 each.
His 36 winners this season---and still counting---is his second highest total in a single season. Pedroza’s best meet came in 2004 when he won 51 races in 17 days for a three-a-day average.
Pedroza’s victory aboard Dash Dot Dash in Wednesday’s Black Swan Stakes was his third stakes triumph of the meet. He now has won 60 stakes races at Fairplex during his career, just two behind the all-time leader, David Flores, who has 62.< /div>
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