LOS ALAMITOS, CA—AUGUST 31, 2018—Owner John Firth enjoyed his first ever stakes victory courtesy of the filly Hard Headed Chick in the Debutante Stakes for fillies on California Breeders Champions Night on July 28.

The owner will love to earn stakes win number two when Hard Headed Chick takes on an open field of 3-year-olds in the $25,000 Sgt Pepper Feature Handicap on Saturday night.

“She’s shown us a lot, but we just couldn’t knock down a win until the Debutante,” Firth said. “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.”

A winner in her last two outings, Hard Headed Chick ran second in the La Primera Del Ano Derby and third in the La Pacifica Handicap earlier this year. She’s also only $4 shy of reaching the $100,000 mark in career earnings. The Hard Hitting filly has won five of 15 career starts.

Ronnie Brooks Keller’s Twisted Sifter was third in the Vandy’s Flash Handicap on July 1 and then posted an impressive 1 ¼ length victory on August 10. The Arizona-bred gelding by also enters this race with five victories from 15 starts, but this could be his coming out party following his last two strong efforts. Jonathan Roman will pilot the son of FDD Dynasty from the outside post number seven.

The field will also include Chowchilla Chickadee, who finished second in the Debutante, and Walk It Man, a two-time allowance winner earlier this season and a fourth place finisher in the Jens List Memorial Stakes in late July. Famous N Hot and McFarland USA, easy allowance winners in their most recent outings, plus allowance-runner-up Quite Up will complete the field.

Bound To Bet Heads Truly A Pleasure Handicap On Friday Night

Bound To Bet and Newport Coaster are throwbacks to the age of outstanding Quarter Horse distance runners at Los Alamitos. The local history book is filled with legendary distance champions like Snowbound Superstar, Griswold, Sign Of Lanty and Speedy Lunch, but also with top stakes runners like Prankster CF, Mr Diddy Wa Diddy, No Pet Peeves, Rapid Champ, Butter Me Up CST, Two Stepping Alibi, Hateful Hanna and more.

Bound To Bet and Newport Coasters would have fit right in with that latter group, hard-knocking horses going 870, a distance with a great tradition at the Orange County oval.

The two Quarter Horse marathoners will head the featured $20,000 Truly A Pleasure Handicap on Friday night, a race that will also feature five quick Thoroughbreds headed by Towards The Light, a 3/4 length winner at 870 yards here earlier this month, Dream On Brother, a five-time winner this year, and Rule He Will, who has won his last three starts, although he’s only raced once in 2018. The field will also feature veterans Mason B and Handful Of Pearls.

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Courtesy of www.losalamitos.com.