El Aventurero, under jockey Jesus Ayala, won the $30,000 Independence Day Handicap Sunday night at Los Alamitos.

© Amber Mendez

LOS ALAMITOS, CA–JULY 7, 2024–J. Francisco Diaz's El Aventurero is now a multiple stakes winner after scoring a hard-fought victory over Ed Allred's stakes winner Up For Everything and Jeryl Hartley's graded stakes winner Hes Chickless in the Grade 3, $30,000 Independence Day Handicap on Saturday at Los Alamitos.

Ridden by Jesus Rios Ayala for trainer Lindolfo Diaz, El Aventurero was seventh at the start before flying late in the 300-yard race to score a nose victory at 12-1 odds.

The gelding by Docs Best Card defeated a field that also featured 2022 All American Futurity winner Hes Judgeandjury, multiple stakes winner Cattail Cove, Grade 1 winner You Can Run and two other top sprinters.

Now a winner of five of 17 career starts, El Aventurero earned $16,500 for this win. The Jaime Gomez-trainee has now earned $143,002 in his career. He covered the distance in :15.368.

Jesus Ayala and Lindolfo Diaz accept the Independence Day Handicap stakes trophy. © William Zuazo

"He tries hard all the time," Diaz said. "He's had a little bad luck the last two or three times in the gate, either getting bumped or not breaking that sharply, but normally he's a hard knocker. He just tries. He's not the top Grade 1 level, but he's just a notch below. He always gives it his all. He's a tough little guy."

Diaz will continue to point El Aventurero, who won the First Down Dash Handicap last year, to other stakes events and handicap races as they come up and fit his stakes winner's schedule.     

Ridden by Gabriel Lara for trainer Scott Willoughby, Up For Everything earned $6,750 for running second.

They were followed by Hes Chickless, Cattail Cove, Hes Judgeandjury, You Can Run, Turbulent Kisses and Required First.

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