LOS ALAMITOS, CA—OCTOBER 11, 2019—Ed Allred’s Just Be Real followed his hard-fought nose victory on September 21 with a dominant daylight victory in the $30,000 Autumn Handicap on Saturday night at Los Alamitos.

Just Be Real and Spirit Foose were the early leaders right from the start, just like when the two first met in the late September race. Spirit Foose had the early lead, but the gray gelding Just Be Real was once again powerful in the end, opening up a clear lead at the midway point of the race before cruising to a length victory for jockey Vinnie Bednar and trainer Scott Willoughby. Bednar has now piloted 62 Quarter Horse winners this season, tying him with Jesus Rios Ayala at the top of the standings.

For Willoughby, this was his 52nd Quarter Horse training win, which takes him to the top of the current standings. Paul Jones, the perennial leading trainer has 50 wins, while Chris O’Dell is currently third with 49 wins. Allred is the meet’s leading owner with 66 victories. Just Be Real, a 2-year-old by Walk Thru Fire out of the Separatist mare Realistically, has helped provide three of those wins for his connections. The Allred-bred broke his maiden on August 10 and then outdueled Spirit Foose by a nose in that allowance event.

This time, the 6-1 choice Just Be Real finished ahead of Jones-trained Suite Expectations, who rallied to post her fourth in the money finish of the year. Ramon Sanchez was aboard for the ownership group of Jones, Howard Nichols and Thompson Racing.

Just Be Real, who is a half-brother to Canada Cup Futurity winner True Copy and Miss Princess Handicap winner Vivid, covered the 350 yards in :17.643. He earned $16,500 for his third win in five starts to more than double his lifetime earnings to $28,170. Suite Expectations earned $6,750 for her runner-up effort, while Ernesto Parra and Valentin Zamudio’s Interesting Bar picked up a check for $3,750 for running third.

Spirit Foose ran fourth and was followed by Jess A Favorite Kiss, Piety, El Angel Corona, and JR Prissys Blood.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Courtesy of www.losalamitos.com.