G R Carter

The critics in Oklahoma who watched G.R. Carter develop from a high school senior into a top quarter horse jockey in two years told him he couldn't make it in California. They said it would be too difficult to crack the well-established California jockey colony, one of the nation's finest. A young man from Oklahoma, they said, could get lost in the California crowd. Between 1988 and '90, Carter had established himself at Blue Ribbon Downs in Sallisaw, Okla.

The critics in Oklahoma who watched G.R. Carter develop from a high school senior into a top quarter horse jockey in two years told him he couldn't make it in California. They said it would be too difficult to crack the well-established California jockey colony, one of the nation's finest. A young man from Oklahoma, they said, could get lost in the California crowd. Between 1988 and '90, Carter had established himself at Blue Ribbon Downs in Sallisaw, Okla.

Dash For Time, who posted the fastest qualifying time, drew post No. 4 for the $138,000 La Primera Del Ano Derby for quarter horses Friday night at Los Alamitos. The field, in order of post position, with jockeys in parentheses: Social Celebrity (Bruce Pilkenton), Dashin Flo Jo (Eddie Garcia), Streakin Dolly (G.R.

Defending champion See Me Do It drew the rail, a disadvantage, Thursday for Saturday night's Champion of Champions quarter horse race at Los Alamitos. The $250,000, 440-yard race is expected to determine the 1990 world champion. The lineup, from the rail out, with jockeys in parentheses: See Me Do It (Larry Layton), Jazzing Hi (Bruce Pilkenton), Barbs Bounce (G.R.

Jockey Kip Didericksen, who announced his retirement on Dec. 1, will return Saturday to ride Refrigerator in the $250,000 Champion of Champions quarter horse race at Los Alamitos. Refrigerator, trained by Blane Schvaneveldt, is the 8-5 morning line favorite in the 440-yard race, which is expected to play a large role in determining quarter horse racing's champions.

Value The Man, a 10-1 shot, out-finished Higher Fire to win the $1.5-million Los Alamitos Million Futurity on Friday night at Los Alamitos. It was a record third victory in the Grade 1 for John Bassett, who trains the 2-year-old Heza Fast Man gelding for owner-breeders J. Garvan Kelly and Nancy Yearsley. Bassett won the inaugural Million with Evening Snow in 1990 and again with First Place Queen in 2002.

Ab What A Runner will try to rebound from her first loss in eight starts in the $269,200 Los Alamitos Derby tonight. A Grade 1 at 400 yards, the Derby features the 10 fastest qualifiers from trials that were held two weeks ago. A winner of her first seven, including the 2002 All American Futurity at Ruidoso, Ab What A Runner finished second in her trial, beaten a head by Strawberry Dash. G.R. Carter will ride the gray filly for owners Donnie and Kris Hill and trainer Bret Vickery.

Tonight's $20,000 Josie's Bar Handicap at 550 yards is highlighted by the presence of many proven stakes competitors, including Patricia Visscher's Follow The Sign. Follow The Sign, trained by H.J. Visscher, enters the Josie's Bar on the strength of a victory in the QHBC Far West Derby at Los Alamitos Nov. 19. The gelding, who will be ridden by G.R. Carter, also ran fourth in the Governor's Cup Derby, third in the Southern California Derby and second in the Independence Day Handicap.

Winning Guarantee, who beat males in the Gold Coast Express Handicap at the Orange County Racing Fair on Aug. 10 , heads a field of nine in the $20,000-added Miss Princess Handicap on tonight's opening program of the 1990-91 fall-winter quarter horse meeting at Los Alamitos. Winning Guarantee has won two of nine starts this year and will start from the outside, the No. 9 post, with jockey Joe Meier.

Be A Bono earned his fourth Grade I victory when he surged late to edge A Regal Choice in the $605,450 Los Alamitos Super Derby on Friday night. Owned and bred by Spencer Childers and trained by Dan Francisco, the 3-year-old Bono Jazz gelding was ridden by G.R. Carter as he won for the eighth time in nine starts. The Super Derby win, accomplished in a stakes-record 19.43 seconds for the 400 yards, earned the favorite a spot in next month's Champion Of Champions.

Manuel Loza, who won his first stakes race on Friday, was critically injured in a spill on Sunday and was on a life-support system at Los Alamitos Medical Center late Monday. Loza, 25, was involved in a two-horse spill in Sunday's 10th race, an 870-yard race for maidens. On the backstretch, High Desert Bugs, the early leader, suffered a broken right front leg and fell, throwing jockey G.R. Carter.