Dash For Cash at Los Alamitos : Sig Hanson Scores Upset; Favorite Elite Empress Fifth

Sig Hanson, with experience spanning all of two races, won the $629,000 Dash For Cash Futurity Saturday night in front of 6,936 at Los Alamitos Race Course.

Sig Hanson, with Kenneth Hart aboard, was fourth at the race’s halfway point but finished strong to edge Classy Classanova by a nose. The 2-year-old colt ran the 400 yards in 19.91 seconds, well behind the stakes record time of 19.61, set by Eastex in 1984.

In winning the richest race of Los Alamitos’ summer season, Sig Hanson, owned by Jay Parsons, earned $233,320. Trained by John Clements, Sig Hanson had earned only $4,620 in his previous two races, both of which he won.

A virus contracted after his first race in May kept Sig Hanson away from racing for two months and had Clements worried that he might lose the horse.

“His older brother died of the same thing,” he said.

After recovering, Sig Hanson won his trial July 6 with a time of 19.94.

Sig Hanson paid $5.80, $4.40 and $3.80. Classy Classanova paid $8 and $5. Teller Queen returned $6.

Elite Empress, the race favorite, finished fifth.

Hart, Los Alamitos’ all-time leading stakes jockey, became the first jockey to win the Dash For Cash Futurity twice. He won aboard Raise A Secret in 1985.

“I’m so thrilled for John Clements and his people,” Hart said. “With all they’ve been through with this horse, with it almost dying on them, this is great. They deserve all the credit.”

Sky High Dreams, with Danny Cardoza aboard, easily won the $84,732 Dash For Cash Futurity Consolation, finishing a length and a half ahead of Kin To Cash.

Trained by Marshall Ferrell, Sky High Dreams ran the 400 yards in 19.98 to earn $17,192 and push her career earnings to $27,195.

Sky High Dreams paid $6.20, $3 and $3. Kin To Cash, ridden by Henry Garcia, paid $4 and $4.40. Streakin Josh, also trained by Ferrell, was coupled with Sky High Dreams and finished third.

The race was just the second for the filly since March 26. A variety of minor ailments had kept her away from the track. She missed qualifying for the Dash For Cash Futurity by .02 seconds.

“I think she definitely is the caliber of horse that could have been in that race,” Ferrell said.

Ferrell and owner Jack Hall have so much confidence in Sky High Dreams that they plan to run her in the $1-million All-American Futurity at Ruidoso Race Track in New Mexico on Sept. 5.