LOS ALAMITOS, CA—AUGUST 10, 2016—Led by Fulton Quien Sabe Ranches LP’s Grade 1 finalist Tallulah Moon, a strong group of nine distaffers will race in the $30,600 Merial California Distaff Challenge on Saturday at Los Alamitos.

The winner of the Merial will earn a berth to the $125,000 Merial Distaff Challenge Championship to be held here on Saturday, October 29.

The 4-year-old Tallulah Moon has top billing after a solid allowance victory over 2015 champion 2-year-old filly Walk Thru Crystal on July 10. The daughter of leading sire Corona Cartel was making her first start on the night since running against reigning champion aged mare Quirky in January’s Charger Bar Handicap.

Trained by Paul Jones, Tallulah Moon also won her Los Alamitos Super Derby trial last year, but she had a tough trip in the final on the way to running eighth. She’s also posted a pair of stakes placed finishes at Los Alamitos, including a second in the Los Alamitos Invitational Stakes for 2-year-olds in 2014.

The field will also feature the stakes placed Political Chick, a daughter of leading sire Apollitical Jess racing for Jon Lane Henderson and trained by Justin Clark, and Johnny Trotter and Burnett Ranches, LLC’s Miss Racy Fire, the Walk Thru Fire filly out of 2011 AQHA champion 3-year--old filly and Grade 1 Los Alamitos Super Derby winner Miss Racy Jess.

Canadian stakes winner KR Crusin Cartel, Shoulda Kissed Me, a stakes winner at Turf Paradise, Los Alamitos stakes placed runner Maggie Durant plus Kissin Kate Barlow, Million Dollar Kiss and Flyin Lion will also race. Courtesy of www.losalamitos.com.