Barry and Janice Sather’s Singles Cruise was a three-time stakes winner in Canada in 2018. She’s now a stakes winner at Los Alamitos as well after outdueling Valentin Zamudio’s Callender by a nose to post an upset victory in the $20,000 James Smith Memorial Handicap on Sunday at Los Alamitos.
Ridden by Carlos Huerta for trainer Paul Jones, Singles Cruise broke sharply from post number seven and took the lead shortly after the start. Callender came flying to her inside, but Singles Cruise did not back down on the way to recording her fourth stakes victory and seventh in 13 career starts. A 12-1 longshot in this race, Singles Cruise covered the 350-yards in :17.630.
“She’s been a nice filly,” Jones said. “She won a (Grade 3) futurity in Canada. The Sathers sent her here to run in the 2018 Grade 2 John Deere Juvenile Challenge Championship at Los Alamitos. She’s just a good filly. She ran second in her last race. Tonight she had the perfect trip. She had good break and a nice, clean run. She really ran well. This is probably her best race. I’ve trained a few horses before for the Sathers. I actually sold them a horse a long time ago. They’re really nice people and they love their horses. I’m sure they’ll be really thrilled about this one. It’s nice to win one for them.”
Bred by Dr. Steve Burns, the Favorite Cartel filly won the Jerry Stojan Memorial Stakes and the Evergreen Park Juvenile Challenge at The Horses At Evergreen Park in Grande Prairie. She also won the Grade 3 Canada Quarter Horse Cup Futurity at Century Downs located in Southern Alberta. Following a fifth place finish in the John Deere Juvenile, Singles Cruise had done well at Los Alamitos. She won her trial to the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Winter Championship and finished eighth to multiple stakes winner Powerful Favorite in the final. She came into the James Smith after running second to Juan Carlos Chavez’s Striver in the Dreaming Sweet Handicap. Singles Cruise earned $11,000 for the win to take her career earnings to $83,377.
The Sathers of Beaverlodge, Alberta, have been one of the top Quarter Horse owners in North America. In 2016, they were the leading owners of the AQHA Racing Challenge program, becoming the first from outside the United States to win that title in more than 15 years. The couple also won the Canada Quarter Horse Cup Futurity in 2014 with their talented colt Cruisinfourabruisin. In 2013, the Sathers were named the Alberta Quarter Horse Racing Association’s leading owners and Breeders of the Year.
Ridden by Ruben Lozano, Callender earned $4,500 for running second. He was followed across the wire by Bos Time Machine, Majestic Mr Perry, Striver, Bolt For Gold, Cavuto, Stel Eagle Friends and Jess Bein Me. Razzel Dazzel was scratched.
- Story by Los Alamitos Race Course