Los Alamitos Super Derby Preview

Champion Dark NME and multiple graded stakes winner BP Cartel Policy are two of the 10 sophomores entered back in Sunday's 400-yard, $763,000 Los Alamitos Super Derby (G1) at Los Alamitos Racecourse.

The winner of this race will earn a presumptive berth in this year's 440-yard, $600,000 Champion of Champions (G1), the sport's richest and most prestigious race for older runners.

A son of Favorite Cartel trained by Monty Arrossa for owner Bill Price, BP Cartel Policy is the fastest qualifier from four trials run on October 20. The homebred gelding has won two graded derbies at Los Alamitos this season, including the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Winter Derby as the fastest qualifier in February.

BP Cartel Policy is out of CC Policy, a homebred daughter of Corona Cartel who won the 2007 Oklahoma Futurity (G3) at Remington Park, and he is a half brother to stakes winner BP Valiant Policy.

“He raises the best horses in the country,” Arrossa said of Price. “I hope he just keeps breeding those good ones. It’s an honor to train for him.”

BP Cartel Policy drew post 5 and will be ridden by Armando Cervantes.

Last year's champion 2-year-old filly, Dark NME races for TYKHE Racing from the barn of trainer Romeo Mireles. The Hes Relentless filly has earned $1,647,925 from 13 starts, and she won three graded futurities last year, including the Grade 1 Texas Classic and Rainbow futurities.

Dark NME drew post 8 and will be ridden by Francisco Calderon.

The complete lineup, in post position order including jockey assignments and morning-line odds:
Sonny Corona (Eduardo ), 30-1
Try Harder (Cruz Mendez), 30-1
Lets Leave (Sergio Becerra Jr.), 15-1
Boardwalk (Gabriel Lara), 15-1
BP Cartel Policy (Armando Cervantes), 6-5
Stanley Cartel (James Flores), 2-1
So Can I (Irving Lara), 30-1
Dark NME (Francisco Calderon), 9-2
AB Seis Corazones (Jesus Rios Ayala), 8-1
RS Shere Khan (Henry Lopez), 30-1

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