LOS ALAMITOS, CA—DECEMBER 13, 2018—Ed Burgart has made the morning line for the Champion of Champions at Los Alamitos for the past 38 years so he knows a thing or two about strong and talented fields for this classic 440-yard race.

"This was the toughest line I've ever made for the Champion of Champions," he said. "It's just a great field and a super competitive race."

The 10-horse field for Saturday's Grade 1, $600,000 Champion of Champions will be headed by eight Grade 1 winners, which includes two past winners of this race, and a lineup of horses with total combined earnings of $7.13 million.

First post for the nine-race program is 6 p.m. with the Champion of Champions slated as the ninth race of the card.

The 3-1 morning line favorite is Los Alamitos Super Derby winner Jesstacartel, a powerfully built 3-year-old gelding by one Sweet Jess. Trained by Mark Skeen, Jesstacartel is a lifetime winner of seven of 10 career starts and has been tremendous this year, winning the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Super Derby and Grade 2 Golden State Derby winner.

In 45 previous runnings of the Champion of Champions, sophomore males have won 11 times. In addition, jockey Cruz Mendez opted to ride Jesstacartel instead of four-time Champion of Champions finalist Heza Dasha Fire.

Owned and bred by Lesley Joyner of Utah, Jesstacartel will start from post number six, the exact same post from where he's won the Super Derby and Golden State Derby this year.

Ramon Sanchez, a three-time winner of the Champion of Champions, will look to tie Bruce Pilkenton and Jerry Nicodemus for most wins in this historic race when he pilots S-Quarter K LLC's Heza Dasha Fire from post number 10.

Trained by Jose Flores, Heza Dasha Fire is the 4-1 co-second choice and will be looking to become a two-time winner of the Champion of Champions. The 6-year-old gelding by Walk Thru Fire is one of the most accomplished Quarter Horses in history. He won the 2015 Champion of Champion on the way to being named AQHA World Champion and has finished second in each of the past three years. The great Refrigerator is the only other horse in history to have finished second or better three times in the history of the Champion of Champions.

Bill Hoburg's BH Lisas Boy is also 4-1 on the morning line while going after his third Grade 1 stakes win of the year. The Idaho-bred gelding by Mighty Invictus won the (GI) Brad McKinzie Los Alamitos Winter Championship on February 11 and the (GI) Bank of America Challenge Championship on November 17.

"The horse came off that race exceptionally well," said Hoburg. "He was ready to run seven days later. I feel with that race under him 30 days ago that he might be two steps faster than he was in that race. Will that be good enough against this field? Will find out Saturday. He's a once in a lifetime horse. We've spent a lot of time with him. He's very professional and friendly horse. He loves attention. He likes to tease you and pester you. When I was holding him for the horseshoer this afternoon, he was giving me a hard time trying to bite and nibble me."

Cesar De Alba, who announced earlier this week that he's retiring at the meet's end of Sunday, will be aboard BH Lisas Boy. De Alba will embark on a new career as horse trainer starting with the upcoming new season. BH Lisas Boy will start from post number two, the same place from where he won the Winter Championship. He also finished eighth from this spot in the Robert Boniface Los Alamitos Invitational Championship, but he was bumped hard at the start of that race.

Ed Allred's He Looks Hot will break to the inside of BH Lisas Boy when he start from post number one. Trained by Scott Willoughby and to be ridden by Vinnie Bednar, He Looks Hot has posted victories and 550 yards and then at 440 yards in the Invitational Championship. His 550-yard allowance win came from along the rail so he has enjoyed success from that spot before. More importantly, He Looks Hot has proven to love the 440-yard distance. He posted the meet's fastest time at 440 yards in 2016 and currently has the fastest quarter mile time of the meet. The millionaire gelding by Walk Thru Fire will be going after his 10th win in 28 career starts.

Johnny Trotter's Bodacious Eagle finished second in the Los Alamitos Invitational Championship and won his Z. Wayne Griffin Directors Trials. To be ridden by Cody Jensen for trainer Justin Joiner, he figures to a major player from post number nine.

"This horse has been doing really well," Joiner began. "He takes a little bit of maintenance because he's an old man with a little bit of arthritis, but the horse is doing well. In training he likes to go out there and play and do his thing. I stood the horse (Wednesday morning) and the horse is doing awesome. I expect a big race from him. We got everything going for us. He just has to do his part."

The lone female in the race is EG High Desert Farms' Jess Ravin, the winner of the Grade 1 Mildred Vessels Memorial Handicap. Eduardo Nicasio will ride her from post number eight, as he picks up the mount for Jesus Rios Ayala, who'll ride Zoomin For Spuds on Saturday.

"She was impressive in her last start," Nicasio said. "I didn't expect Ayala to leave the mount. I thought he would ride Jess Ravin. I see it as a great opportunity to ride a top mare, especially after her great race in the Mildred Vessels. She ran a great time. This is an extra 40 yards, but I think she can handle it."

Grade 1 winners Tarzanito, with Los Alamitos' all-time leading rider Eddie Garcia aboard, and Zoomin For Spuds, the winner of the 2016 Champion of Champions, will be joined by Yanque, and LD Is Back in this outstanding field.

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Courtesy of www.losalamitos.com.