LOS ALAMITOS, CA—JUNE 20, 2011—Armando Leon has been waiting patiently for the night in which his Snitcher would tell the racing world that he had arrived on the sport’s biggest stage. That moment appeared on the night of the richest running ever of the Grade 1 Vessels Maturity on Sunday at Los Alamitos.

Ridden by Alex Bautista for trainer Adan Farias, Snitcher flew to a half length victory in the $240,200 Vessels Maturity ahead of dead-heat runner-ups Chivalry Sr, who is also trained by Farias, and Abigail Kawananakoa’s Divide The Cash.

In the process, Snitcher turned his tremendous potential into reality thanks to a brilliant Grade 1 victory that earned him a guaranteed berth into this year’s $750,000 Champion of Champions.

The gelded son of Tr Dasher is now the third horse with a spot in the Champion of Champions along with Los Alamitos Winter Championship winner Good Reason SA, who ran fourth in the Vessels Maturity, and Remington Park Championship winner Rylees Boy. Bred by Ed Allred, Snitcher earned $100,884 for the win. His time of :19.189 is the second fastest at 400 yards in the history of the Vessels Maturity only behind Freaky’s :19.15 in 2009. Snitcher was sent off at 12-1 odds.

“We’ve always had big hopes for this horse,” said Farias, who also trained world champion Freaky during his title winning year in 2009. “We knew that (Snitcher)was Grade 1 material, but he had feet problems. We turned him out and he came back feeling a lot better. When I had Freaky I felt that Snitcher could be that caliber of a horse, especially after he ran third to him in the (Robert L. Boniface Los Alamitos Invitational Championship). Snitcher is now in the Champion of Champions. That’s amazing.”

Leon always envisioned Snitcher, the winner of the restricted Grade 3 Jens List Memorial Stakes and the Grade 3 Sgt Pepper Feature, as a horse that one day could win Grade 1 races at Los Alamitos just like Freaky.

“He ran third behind world champion Freaky and champion aged mare Stylish Jess BR in the Los Alamitos Championship,” Leon said. “I always hoped that he would become my Freaky. He came back a lot better after his rest and we liked his chances in this race. If you have a horse in the race then you have a chance, just like any of the 10 horses in the race. Adan picked this horse out and I bought him privately (from Ed Allred). ”

Leon is no stranger to Quarter Horse racing, as he now owns more than 100 horses and is among Mexico’s top Quarter Horse breeders. His place in Mexico is named Rancho La Diecinueve (Ranch 19) and is located along a stretch of Quarter Horse ranches in Sinaloa that include those owned by Anjora Corporation’s Carlos Sosa and Rancho El Alacran of Fighter On Fire and My Lady First fame. Located along a popular local road known as 19th Street, Rancho La Diecinueve is home to Leon’s stallion battery of Chicks Beduino Jr, Senior Solo and Diligents. Since Snitcher is a gelding, Leon purchased his unaltered full brother Long Gone for $52,000 at the 2010 Los Alamitos Equine Sale.

“Long Gone barely missed qualifying to the Ed Burke Million Futurity,” Farias said. “We were about 100ths of a second shy of making it to the Ed Burke.”

Leon started in Quarter Horse racing when he purchased Chicks Beduino Jr a couple of years ago.

“He was a big star in the match races in Mexico,” Leon said. “No one could beat him in Mexico. They brought (1997 AQHA champion 2-year-old gelding) Artesias Specialchic to match race him, but Chicks Beduino Jr beat him. I bought him after that in Michoacan. He was a 4-year-old when I got him.”

Chicks Beduino Jr is the sire of Los Alamitos winning machine Chalala. Leon has bred a lot of mares to Senior Solo and at this year’s Ruidoso Yearling Sale his consignment will include a full sister to Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity, Heritage Place Derby and Remington Park Derby finalist Crystal Sola. “I raised Crystal Sola and I think this yearling is better.”

Leon has one more desire when it comes to Snitcher.

“We have the horse and now we just hope that he lands in the Champion of Champions feeling good, healthy and strong. I’ve been in this country for 30 years and I started in a machine shop. I love this country because it is the place of opportunity. If you have a positive attitude and a will for work, you can move up and be anything that you want. A negative attitude will get you nowhere.”

Leon’s belief in Snitcher has certainly been rewarded.

Chivalry Sr, who beat Snitcher in the Vessels Maturity trials, and 350-yard track record holder Divide The Cash earned $34,829 each for finishing second.

Racing for his breeder Stern Ranches, Chivalry Sr is a 4-year-old Walk Thru Fire gelding out of Artesias Beduino, by Beduino (TB). Eduardo Nicasio had he ridding assignment.

Rafael Orozco saddled Divide The Cash, a 4-year-old son of Separatist out of Time For Royal Cash, by Dash For Cash. Cesar DeAlba was aboard.

Good Reason Sa, who had a very troubled trip, ran fourth and was followed across the wire by Simons Wonder Choice, Whole Lot Of Karma, Mamas Justice, Mark It Famous, Pepe El Trueno and Bloke completed the field.

Courtesy of www.losalamitos.com