LOS ALAMITOS, CA—JULY 28, 2018—California's best Quarter Horses got together to be a part of a great night of racing action in the 19th running of California Breeders Champions Night on Saturday at Los Alamitos.

The 12-race card will featured 11 stakes races including seven undercard stakes races for California-breds.

Thermonuclear Energy Is Too Strong Late

Parsons Family Limited Partnership's Thermonuclear Energy finished powerfully, as she often does, to win the $40,000 Matron Stakes by ¾ lengths over a star-studded field of mares on Saturday.

Ridden by Eduardo Nicasio from post number seven for trainer Chris O'Dell, Thermonuclear Energy was third at the start of the 400 yards and trailed early leaders Jess Mas and Jess Hawk. But soon after the first 100 yards, the Walk Thru Fire mare's long strides began to eat up ground and it didn't take long for her to take the top spot.

"She broke a little bit sluggish, but for her it was decent," O'Dell said. "She ran down through there and turned on the afterburners from there. It wasn't pretty but she got the job done. She shows up every time. We'll be looking at the Mildred Vessels Memorial Handicap next."

The Matron Stakes served as a good preview of the distaffers that figure to be in action in the Grade 1 Mildred Vessels in September. In addition to Thermonuclear Energy, Matron Stakes runner-up Jess Hawk and third place finisher Jess Mas figure to be a part of the Mildred Vessels. And so could Kiddy Up Cowgirl, the winner of the Grade 1 Charger Bar Handicap earlier this year, but the fifth place finisher after troubled journey in this race.

Thermonuclear Energy will likely be the mare to beat in the Mildred Vessels not only because of her victory in the Matron, but also because of her great work in her other two outings of 2018.

The 5-year-old homebred mare won the Ivan Ashment Handicap in her last start and finished second to Kiddy Up Cowgirl in the Charger Bar. Thermonuclear Energy earned $22,000 for the win to take her career earnings to $317,257. She's won nine of 23 career starts.

EG High Desert Farms' Jess Hawk, winner of the Miss Princess Handicap on May 13, earned $9,000 for running second. Jess Hawk also finished third when facing the boys in the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Winter Championship. She was fifth to 2016 AQHA champion 3-year-old gelding Zoomin For Spuds, in the Vessels Maturity earlier this month.

Jess Mas, Strawfinders Jessee, Kiddy Up Cowgirl, Tough To Figure, and Maggie Durant completed the field.

Hard Headed Chick Gives Owner First Stakes Win

Owner John Firth enjoyed his first stakes victory at Los Alamitos thanks to Hard Headed Chick's hard-fought victory over Bill Absher and Leland Decker's Chowchilla Chickadee in the $25,000 California Breeders Debutante Stakes.

Hard Headed Chick has been knocking at the door of a stakes win for a few months now. She was second in the Grade 3 La Primera Del Ano Derby earlier this year and finished third to the red-hot filly A Political Lady in the La Pacifica Handicap on May 12. She came into this race after winning a photo finish in an allowance race on July 1.

"It's been agonizing because we've been trying to get her a (stakes) win," Firth said. "She's shown us a lot but we just couldn't knock down a win. With this win she's right around $100,000. This is just a lot of fun. I've never owned a horse that's been this good. We're having a great time. I've been around a lot of great horses (at Firth Ranch) like Moonist, AJS Anna Smoke, One Proud Eagle for the clients, but it's special to finally get one of my own that can run a little bit."

Ridden by Cody Jensen for trainer Lin Melton, Hard Headed Chick covered the 350 yards in :17.699. This was her fifth win in 15 career starts. The Cooper-trained Chowchilla Chickadee was second with Better Than Ever running third.

Red Hawk Cartel Wins Freshman Stakes At 62-1 Odds

Owned and bred by Martha Wells, Red Hawk Cartel, a full brother to Governor's Cup Derby finalist Yanque, scored one of the biggest upsets in the history of California Breeders Champions Night history after paying $127.20 for his win in the $25,000 Freshman Stakes.

Making only his third start of the year and facing a field that included Ed Burke Memorial Juvenile winner Ali Babe Foose, Red Hawk Cartel delivered his surprising win from post eight while covering the 350-yard distance in :17.77.

Red Hawk Cartel's maiden victory arrived after a pair of out of the money finishes in his previous two career starts. His connections will be hoping that this can be the start of great things for the new stakes winner.

The colt by Favorite Cartel is eligible to run in both the Golden State Million Futurity trials later this year and in the 2019 Los Alamitos Super Derby trials. A winner of $13,750 in this race, Red Hawk Cartel was ridden to victory by Alberto Zepeda.

Wells and Fales also teamed up with the second place finisher in this race, the Stel Corona filly Yoffi. Wells also bred Yoffi, who was making only her second start at Los Alamitos after debuting at Turf Paradise. Ridden by Ramon Sanchez, Yoffi earned $5,625.

Diamond Blue Eyes Sparkles Is Jens List

EG High Desert Farms-homebred gelding Diamonds Blue Eye was another upset winner, his victory coming in the $25,000 Jens List Memorial Stakes, but at much lower odds than those of 62-1 shot Red Hawk Cartel.

Sent off at 15-1 odds, Diamonds Blue Eye pulled away from Jess Bet Me from post number one on the way to wire-to-wire 1 ¼ length win. With Jonathan Roman up, Diamonds Blue Eye covered the 400 yards in :19.815. This was the Corona Czech gelding's second win from his last three starts.

Now a winner of three of six lifetime outings, Diamonds Blue Eye earned $13,750 for the win to more than double his career earnings to $25,875. Jesus Nunez saddled the sophomore runner out of Letty Bail Regis Out, the winner of the 2012 California Breeders Debutante Stakes. "Letty Bail Regis Out was a nice filly," recalled Enrique Gonzalez of EG High Desert Farms. "We retired her because of a few leg issues, but we're excited about her prospects as a broodmare. Diamonds Blue Eye is her first foal and we have a few more that we're looking forward to race in the future." Herasmo and Salvador Hernandez and Jose Gutierrez's Jess Bet Me earned $5,625 for running second, his sixth straight top three finish. The Revenant, a multiple graded stakes finalist by leading sire Favorite Cartel, ran third as the favorite in this race.

Uno Corona Mas Wins Another Stakes

Oscar Andrade and Dr. Steve Burns' Uno Corona Mas scored his first win since taking the Grade 2 Southern California Derby in 2016 thanks to a perfect journey in the $25,000 California Breeders Sprint Stakes at 350 yards.

Ridden by Carlos Huerta, Uno Corona Mas covered the distance in :17.686 while defeating the hard-knocking gelding GS Wintermeyer by a head at 13-1 odds. In between his win in the Southern California Derby on December 18, 2016 and Saturday's Sprint Stakes, Uno Corona Mas had seven straight races. He got it done in style on California Breeders Champions Night.

"He's been hit and miss," trainer Elena Andrade said. "He had a pretty long layoff (prior to his 2018 debut) and trying to find his groove again has been kind of rough. We've had to change a lot of things. In the gates, he's got some little issues. He's not crazy, he's not a bad gate, but he is a stud so he gets rough in there. He gets heavy headed. We're taking baby steps with him. This is a nice win and hopefully it helps him to continue to do well the rest of the year."

The 5-year-old One Sweet Jess horse earned $13,750 for the win to take his career earnings to $124,247. He's won four of 19 starts.

Owned by Oscar Parra and trained by Valentin Zamudio, GS Wintermeyer by Favorite Cartel earned $5,625 for finishing second.

Still Trying, Gronkowski, My Favorite Check, Lotta Blues Man, and Chicks Fayvorite completed the field.

Rock Asterioid Loves 550 Stakes

Maria Gomez's Rockin Asteroid has been an Iron Horse in 2018. The 3-year-old gelding by Parsons Rock was making his 10th start of the year in Saturday's $20,000 California Breeders 550-Yard Stakes and his hard work was rewarded with a ½ length victory in a hand time of :27.20.

Trained by John Cooper, Rockin Asteroid earned $11,000 for the win to take his career bankroll to $53,696. He has posted other solid effort, including a second place finish in an allowance race and runner-up efforts against high-level claimers in back-to-back starts last month. This was his third victory in 18 starts.

Well Good finished second for owner/breeder Edward Allred and Newport Coaster racing for Herminia Gutierrez got third.

Claiming Stakes Recap

There were a pair of claiming stakes races held on California Breeders Champions Night. In the $15,000 Senior Claiming Stakes for $5,000 claimers, EG High Desert Farms' South West Red enjoyed the class relief and cruised to victory in the $15,000 race at 400 yards in a time of :20.069.

South West Red, who had been facing $10,000 claimers in his most recent starts and finished third against $20,000 claimers in March, earned $8,250 for the win.

This was his third win in 20 career starts. The homebred 4-year-old gelding is by Red Hot Rhythm and out of 2008 Southern California Derby winner Short Czech. Jairo Rangel piloted South West Red for trainer Jesus Nunez.

The $17,500 Sophomore Claiming Stakes for $10,000 claimers went to Carol and Michelle Cooper's Worker, who is now a four-time winner in his career.

Third against $12,500 claimers on June 16, The Foose gelding was saddled to victory by John Cooper. Oscar Peinado rode the Ed Allred-bred runner to victory in a 350-yard time of :17.792. He earned $3,938 for the win. Trainer John Cooper saddled.

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Courtesy of www.losalamitos.com.