Racing


Additional California Night Undercard Stakes at Los Alamitos
A number of other stakes were conducted on Los Alamitos' Saturday race card for the annual California Champions night.

Additional California Night Undercard Stakes at Los Alamitos

LOS ALAMITOS, CA—JULY 27, 2019—A number of other undercard stakes were run during the California Champions night at Los Alamitos Race Course Saturday.

California Breeders Freshman Fillies

EG High Desert Farms' A Mere Bail scored a half-length win in the $25,000 California Breeders Freshman Fillies Stake. Trainer Jesus Nunez saddled the winning daughter of A Mere Chocolate with Luis Ramirez riding.

A Mre Bail winning the California Breeders Freshman Fillies. © Scott Martinez
The bay filly earned $13,750 in her first win in four starts that season. She completed the 350 yards in :18.005 seconds. A Mere Bail is out of Letty Bail Regis Out by Bail Me Out Baby.

"The filly is still a little green," EG's Enrique Gonzalez said. "She didn't post the fastest of times, but she made some money and enjoyed a nice victory. I have to thank my team because they really have done a good job. Jesus Nunez has been very easy to work with."

Howard Nichols Jess A Favorite Kiss finished second for trainer Paul Jones. Jockey Jesus Ayala rode the California-homebred by first-crop sire Jess Being Valiant from the Favorite Cartel mare Favorite Kiss.

Rebecca Normanly's Kick It On Back finished three-quarters back for third. Jerry Wallace, II trains with Armando Viramontes riding the daughter of first-crop sire Separate Interest. Mike Casselman and Jo Rae Burns bred Kick It On Back from the A Classic Dash mare Dash Till Dawn.

Jens L List Jr Memorial California Breeders Stakes

Mesa Valley Farms LLC's homebred Bolt For Gold got a head win over Red Hawk Cartel in the $25,000 Jens L List Jr Memorial California Breeders Stakes Saturday night.

Bolt For Gold winning the Jens L List Jr Memorial California Breeders Stakes. © Scott Martinez
Trainer Mark Skeen saddled with jockey Cruz Mendez guiding the Favorite Cartel gelding to a :19.873 clocking for the 400 yards.

The California-bred out of Sheza Hot Catch, by Corona Caliente, earned 413,750 for this effort.

Runner-up Red Hawk Cartel races for owner/breeder Martha Wells. Matt Fales conditions the Favorite Cartel colt out of Red Hawk Chick by Hawkinson. Erasmo Gasca was riding.

Edward C. Allred's Accommodating was another head back in the blanket finish to take third. Scott Willoughby trains the Walk Thru Fire gelding out of Sables Bono by Bono Jazz. Jockey Vinnie Bednar had the riding assignment.

California Breeders Debutante Stakes

Hector Padilla's Baby Special Corona defeated Striver by three-quarters in the $25,000 California Breeders Debutante Stakes on Saturday.

Baby Special Corona winning the California Breeders Debutante Stakes. © Scott Martinez
Mayas Signature finished one-length back to take third.

Baby Special Corona completed the 350 yards in :17.613 seconds, equaling a 94 speed index.

Trainer Felix Gonzalez saddled the Two Corona Special filly to her second win in seven starts. She earned $13,750 for the effort. Julio De La Torre was aboard.

"She's improved every time and I had a lot of trust on the filly tonight. I thought she had a good chance to win and she got it done," trainer Felix Gonzalez said. "We'll play it by ear with this filly and see what opportunities come up."

Hector Padilla bred the sorrel filly form the Mr Jess Perry mare Da One.

Runner-up Striver, a daughter of champion sire Foose, races for owner Juan Carlos Chavez. Edward C. Allred bred the brown filly from the A Classic Dash mare Motherless. Vinnie Bednar was riding.

EG High Desert Farms' Mayas Signature finished one-length back in third. The homebred daughter of Fast Prize Cartel is out of Maya Red Hot by Red Hot Rhythm. Jesus Nunez saddled with Luis Ramirez riding.

California Breeders Sprint Stakes

Four-year-old Chance To Fire held gamely to defeat Madam Of Fire Mv by a neck in the $25,000 California Breeders Sprint Stakes on Saturday night.

Chance To Fire winning the California Breeders Sprint Stakes. © Scott Martinez
Ridden by jockey Eduardo Nicasio, Chance To Fire completed the 350 yards in a quick :17.408 clocking to earn a 101 speed index and pocket the winner's purse valued at $13,750. Trainer Christopher O'Dell saddled the winner for owner Abigail Kawananakoa.

"Chance To Fire has always had a lot of talent, but when you hook the best horses in America it's hard to beat them," O'Dell said. "There were some tough horses in this race, but he got in the clear and that helps. He got a decent break. With Quarter Horses it's all at the gate, that's the biggest part of it. If you have a nice horse and get out clean, you are in good shape. Ms. Abigail will be happy with this win."

Edward C. Allred bred the Walk Thru Fire gelding from the Separatist mare Elans Last. The multiple grade 1-palced gelding has earned $348,986.

As a 2-year-old, Chance To Fire finished third in the Grade 1 Ed Burke Million Futurity, second in the Governor's Cup Futurity, and fourth in the Grade 1 Golden State Million Futurity. As a 3-year-old, he was second in both the Governor's Cup Derby and PCQHRA Breeders Derby. He ran fifth in the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Winter Championship earlier this season.

Runner-up Madam Of Fire MV, also by Walk Thru Fire, races for owner Vince Genco and is conditioned by trainer Jose Antonio Flores. Cruz Mendez was aboard the 4-year-old filly out of Solid Connection by Mr Jess Perry.

Hector Ornelas' First Royal Cartel finished three-quarters back in the third-place. Jorge Farias saddled the homebred son of Favorite Cartel from the Royal Always mare First Royal Dutchess. Jesus Ayala had the riding assignments.

California Breeders Freshman Stakes

EG High Desert Farms' homebred El Angel Corona held to win the California Breeders Freshman Stakes by a head over Favorite Illusion. Best Yet finished a nose back in the blanket finish to get third.

El Angel Corona winning the California Freshman Stakes. © Scott Martinez
Ridden by jockey Luis Ramirez, El Angel Corona completed the 350 yards in :17.750 seconds to take home the winner's purse valued at $13,750.

Trainer Jesus Nunez saddled the 2-year-old Corona Czech colt out of the Special Ela by Special Leader. He has compiled a (5) 2-2-1 record this season.

"It's always an extra nice win when it's a surprising win," said Enrique Gonzalez of EG High Desert. "It was a difficult race, but we were very fortunate in that El Angel Corona had a nice start and no trouble at all. I purchased his dam (the Special Leader mare Special Ela) in Oklahoma and I've always liked her a lot. She's beautiful mare with nice class. I felt she made a good cross with my veteran stallion Corona Czech and when we've done those type of crosses, it has worked out."

Cream Of The Crop, Inc.'s Favorite Illusion finished second for trainer Valentin Zamudio. Ruben Lozano had the riding call aboard the Favorite Cartel gelding.

Steve D Burns bred Favorite Illusion from the Mr Jess Perry mare Sweetest Illusion.

Edward C. Allred's homebred Bet Yet is trained by Scott Willoughby and ridden by Vinnie Bednar. The Kiddy Up colt is out of the Tr Dasher mare Better Be Good.

California Breeders 550 Stakes

Also an Edward C. Allred homebred, Well Good defeated Balllast Point by half-a-length in the $20,000 California Breeders 550 Stakes on Saturday at Los Alamitos Race Course.

Well Good winning the California 550 Stakes. © Scott Martinez
Ridden by jockey Vinnie Bednar, Well Good covered the 550 yards in :27 flat, equaling a 110 speed index with a 6 mph tailwind.

Conditioned by trainer Scott Willoughby, the 5-year-old son of Kiddy Up earned $11, 000 for the effort. He is out of the Bono Jazz mare How Good and has banked more than $122,000 in his career.

"He likes the distance, but he's not a great 550-yard horse," trainer Scott Willoughby said. "He's a 500-yard horse. They were eating him up there at the end, but he's such a great old horse that just tries as hard as he can every race he goes. Last year he was second in seven starts, but this year he's having a lot of success winning several races. I'm really happy with him."

Runner-up Ballast Point races for owners Paul C. Jones and Thompson Racing Inc. Also trained by Jones, the son of leading sire Favorite Cartel was bred by Steve D. Burns, DVM from the Separatist mare Fall For It. Jesus Ayala was riding.

Newport Coaster, a 5-year-old Tr Dasher mare, finished a neck back in third for owner Herminia Gutierrez. Justin Clark trains with Erasmo Gasca getting the riding call. Edward C. Allred bred the mare in California from the Raise A Secret mare Wave Babe. She has earned more than $68,000.

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The $17,500 Sophomore Claiming Stakes went to Ed Allred’s Topock Gorge, who edged Laguna Coaster by a nose. Ridden by Jonathan Roman for trainer James Glenn, Jr., Topock Gorge covered the 350-yards in :17.716. The Foose gelding earned $9,625 for the win.

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The all-sources handle for the 12-race California Breeders Champions Night was a season-high $1,951,251. That figure represented a 1.6% increase from last year’s all-sources handle of $1,920,811 for the 12-race Champions Night card.

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Courtesy of www.losalamitos.com.