Earlier this month, Train B Taka delivered the sort of performance in a time trial for Sunday’s El Primero Del Ano Derby that trainer Marc Jungers had hoped to see last month in the $173,350 Los Alamitos Winter Derby on Feb. 15. Train B Taka finished second to Brown Coffeee in the Los Alamitos Winter Derby, losing by 1 1/2 lengths. In the first of four trials for the $235,600 El Primero Del Ano Derby on March 2, Train B Take won a 400-yard race by three-quarters of a length in a quick 19.63 seconds. “If he had run this race in the Winter final, we may have won it,” Jungers told Los Alamitos publicity on March 2. Train B Taka is the fastest qualifier for the El Primero Del Ano Derby and will be favored in a field of 10. :: Access the most trusted data and information in horse racing! DRF Past Performances and Picks are available now. Owned by Cheryl Stokes, Armando Arreola, and Tungsten Racing Partnership, Train B Taka has thrived at Los Alamitos since arriving from New Mexico last fall. In five starts for Jungers at Los Alamitos, Train B Taka has won four times. None of the other runners in the El Primero Del Ano Derby for colts and geldings have been as consistent in recent months, although Favorite Semental has won two of his last three starts. He was eighth after a troubled start in the Winter Derby. Trained by Felix Gonzalez, Favorite Semental won a division of the El Primero time trials in 19.85 seconds, setting the fourth-fastest qualifying time. Jess Send Kevin (19.92 seconds) and Defending Champ (19.95) were also trial race winners on March 2. Jess Send Kevin was last of 10 in the Winter Derby after breaking through the gate before the start. Defending Champ is unbeaten in two starts this year, beginning with a maiden race win at 300 yards in his seventh career start on Feb. 8. The richest runner in Sunday’s field is Ultimate Battle, who has won 2 of 8 starts and earned $274,762. By comparison, Train B Taka has earned $125,795. Ultimate Battle was third behind Defending Champ in the El Primero time trials, the colt’s first start for trainer Eddie Willis. Last year, Ultimate Battle was trained by Monty Arrossa when he finished second in the $1.01 million Ed Burke Million Futurity in June and sixth in the $1.07 million Golden State Million Futurity in October. Arrossa, who led the Quarter Horse standings at Los Alamitos in 2024, is not active. He was told by track officials earlier this month that he is no longer permitted to train at the track after three of his runners tested positive for a prohibited medication last October and November. The list included American Dreamin, the winner of the Golden State Million Futurity. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.