LOS ALAMITOS : Bargain Price Drew No Takers, So He Ended Up With a Steal

It’s not Dr. Robert Young’s fault that he still owns Woodhouse, the 2-year-old gelding who on Saturday set one of the fastest qualifying times for the Governor’s Cup Futurity.

He tried to give the horse away.

Young offered Woodhouse’s dam, Shortly After Five, at a breeding sale in 1990, when she was carrying Woodhouse. When the bidding stalled at $1,500, Young took the mare home and took care of Woodhouse himself.

Woodhouse began racing at Los Alamitos in June and has started four times this summer, winning twice and finishing second twice. He won a division of the Governor’s Cup Futurity trials on Saturday and has the fourth-fastest qualifying time for the $150,000 final on Sept. 4.

“I tried to sell the mare for $1,500,� Young said. “It was a gift. I bid $1,600 and bought her back. The stud fee (for Casady Casanova, whom Shortly After Five had been bred to) was $2,500, and I couldn’t give him away.�

Woodhouse is named for trainer Barry Woodhouse. The gelding was one of four horses that Young, a radiologist from Victorville, ran in the Governor’s Cup trials. The three others didn’t have as much luck: Pocahontas Tom finished fifth, Sean Casady ran seventh and Doctor Young was scratched at the starting gate after suffering a slight injury.

Woodhouse, though, was an impressive winner. He beat Silk Rosette by three-quarters of a length for his first victory over 350 yards.

“He ran a nice race and it looked like he came back real good,� Woodhouse said. “He did everything right and wasn’t pushed.�

Neither was Her First Cin, the fastest qualifier, who was ridden by Mike Burgess. Her First Cin won the third trial division by a nose over Totally Illegal. Burgess hustled the filly away from the gate, hit her a few times midway through race and put his whip away in the final yards. The victory was her third in five starts and was the second time she has qualified for a futurity final.

Her first final, the California Sires Cup Futurity in late May, was barely short of disaster. She stumbled at the start and dumped Burgess out of the saddle and then ran over him. Burgess, who won a race later that evening, was lucky to avoid serious injury.

A few weeks later, Her First Cin ran third in the trials for the Miss Kindergarten Futurity, but failed to qualify for the final. Trainer Kenneth Chapman gave her 30 days off before returning her to training in July.

“She should run back a completely fit horse,� Burgess said. “She hadn’t had an out in a long time. I was happy I was able to give her a pretty easy race.�

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Jockey Joe Meier and trainer Frank Monteleone are the most recent additions to the list of quarter horsemen who have joined the Southland’s thoroughbred circuit.

Monteleone, who trained two-time champion quarter horse Corona Chick, saddled his last quarter horse on Sunday night and will concentrate on his 11-horse thoroughbred barn at Del Mar.

Monteleone, 44, has been among the leading trainers at Los Alamitos for several years, but this summer operated a quarter horse and thoroughbred stable. Monteleone suffered a stroke on Aug. 13 and has decided to cut back and concentrate on one breed.

“I had to cut one of the (stables) out,� he said. “It’s been sad. I didn’t want to leave (Los Alamitos). The industry has been good to me, but the doctors said I can’t do both.�

Monteleone had 30 horses at Los Alamitos, most of which will be transferred to John Martin, who also trains on the California fair circuit.

Corona Chick was Monteleone’s favorite. She won 15 of 18 starts, including 13 consecutive races. She was the champion 2-year-old of 1991 and champion 3-year-old filly of 1992. She was retired earlier this year because of a tendon injury.

Meier stopped riding quarter horses regularly earlier this summer to accept a job with thoroughbred trainer Jack Van Berg. He rode two horses in the Governor’s Cup trials, but that was at the insistence of owner Corbit Johnson and trainer Laura Pinelli, Meier’s former wife. Neither horse qualified and Meier doesn’t anticipate riding in the future.

“I wouldn’t count on it unless it was a very special horse or a very special owner,� he said. “(Corbit) helped me and Laura out when she was getting started.�

Earlier this summer, Meier asked Van Berg if he would teach him to train thoroughbreds.

“I feel if there’s someone who can teach you, he can because of all he’s accomplished,� Meier said. “It was an option of (learning to) train quarter horses or thoroughbreds and the dollar signs took over. I chose thoroughbreds.�

One of Meier’s career highlights was achieved at the expense of Corona Chick. Last September, Meier rode Royal Trips, for Pinelli, to a nose victory over Corona Chick in the Southern California Derby at Hollywood Park, ending Corona Chick’s winning streak at 13.

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Brotherly won his second stake of the month on Saturday, the $10,000 Sunset Beach Stakes for 3-year-olds, beating 74-1 shot First Down Express by a nose.

Brotherly had won the Wine Country Derby at Santa Rosa on Aug. 7 for his first stakes victory, barely missing the 440-yard track record. Owned by Sherri Barham, Shirley Loeb and Mark Shannon, Brotherly ran 400 yards in 19.98 seconds in the Sunset Beach Stakes, but didn’t threaten the track record. Avison, who was second in the Dash For Cash Derby on Aug. 7, finished third.

Brotherly is trained by Charles Treece and was ridden by Bruce Pilkenton. He started from the No. 5 post in the six-horse field, with Avison on his outside and First Down Express on the rail. Nearing the wire, Pilkenton saw how well First Down Express was running, but was afraid of Avison’s late kick.

“I thought if I could beat (Avison), I’d get there,� he said. “I knew Avison could close.�

First Down Express, who was ninth in the Dash For Cash Derby, was ridden by Carlos Bautista and carried 117 pounds, four less than Brotherly and six less than Avison.

Los Alamitos Notes

Check Her Twice, who finished 10th in the California Sires Cup Derby at Los Alamitos in late July, is the second-fastest qualifier for the All American Derby on Sept. 5 at Ruidoso, N.M. The 3-year-old filly won the Golden State and California Sires Cup futurities at Los Alamitos last year. . . . Two quarter horse stakes are scheduled Friday--the $10,000 Garden Grove Stakes for 2-year-olds and the $20,000 Chicado V Handicap for older horses. Jetten Setten Man, who won the Cypress Stakes in early August, heads the Garden Grove Stakes. . . . In the Chicado V, Make Mine Bud and Wealth, each of whom has won two stakes at this meeting, are the probable favorites. Trials for the Governor’s Cup Derby are scheduled for Saturday.