LOS ALAMITOS, CA—DECEMBER 15, 2018—Los Alamitos Race Course has saved its richest race for last, as the final night program of the year-long Quarter Horse meet will feature California's richest horse race of any breed in 2018, the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity at 400 yards on Sunday night. Now in its 24th running, the lucrative futurity will offer total prize money of ...

By Tom Harris PORTLAND, OR—DECEMBER 15, 2018—The biggest day of Oregon horse racing will take place on Sunday as nine of the ten races on the program will be stakes or special events for state-breds on Oregon Championship Day. The $30,000 Baxter Andruss Futurity will be the richest race of the day worth just over $30,000 and older Quarter ...

THE CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS[G1] • 46TH RUNNING – 440 YARDS
SATURDAY NIGHT – DECEMBER 15 • 9TH RACE AT LOS ALAMITOS BH LISAS BOY, 6-Year-Old Gelding
(Mighty Invictus-Apollo Snowbound, by Snowbound) Lifetime Record: 35-20-8-2 $697,662 • 2018 Record: 8-4-2-1 $245,214 Qualified by winning the Brad McKinzie Los ...

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 ...

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI OPELOUSAS, LA—DECEMBER 12, 2018—Javier Rosique’s Jordan Eagle, a brown son of One Famous Eagle and the fastest qualifier, is one of 10 2-year-olds entered back in Saturday’s 400-yard, $311,470 EVD Futurity at Evangeline Downs. Trained by Josue Ponce, Jordan Eagle made his local debut with a dominating 3 1/4-length victory in the sixth of 11 trials on November 23. The colt, a $35,000 buy at last year’s Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale, has earned $17,493 from four races. Jordan Eagle drew post 10 and will be ridden by Jesse ...

by Martha Claussen OPELOUSAS, LA—DECEMBER 10, 2018—The excitement is building for Saturday night’s card at Evangeline Downs in Opelousas, Louisiana. Seven stakes will be contested, highlighted by the LQHBA Louisiana Million (RG1), the richest race in Louisiana. To win a race of that magnitude is a dream of a lifetime for a breeder, owner, trainer and jockey. On Saturday night, one of the connections will celebrate with incredible joy as ...

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI PHOENIX, AZ—DECEMBER 6, 2018—Three American Quarter Horse stakes, topped by the 400-yard, $48,735 AQRA Turf Paradise Open Futurity, are on the docket for Turf Paradise’s eight-race Sunday program. Yuriana Ramirez’s One Famous Icon, a stakes-placed colt by champion Mr Jess Perry and the fastest qualifier, is one of 10 2-year-olds entered back in the AQRA Turf Paradise Open Futurity. Trained by Rigoberto Guillen, One Famous Icon is coming off of a neck victory in the second ...

LOS ALAMITOS, CA—DECEMBER 6, 2018—Ronnie Brooks Keller's multiple stakes winner Twisted Sifter will go after a nation's best ninth victory in 2018 when he heads the $25,000 A Ransom Handicap for 3-year-olds at 350 yards. First post is 7 p.m. (PST). To be ridden by Jonathan Roman for trainer Roman Figueroa, Twisted Sifter has been one of the most pleasant surprises of the meet. He began the year in the claiming ranks, but all he's done is win since breaking his maiden on February 11. The son of FDD Dynasty has climbed the ranks along the way, even scoring wins in the Sgt Pepper Handicap, Chingaderos Handicap and Dreams Come True Ranch Stakes on Bank of America Racing Challenge Night. He'll be going after his fifth victory in a ...

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI NEW ORLEANS, LA—DECEMBER 4, 2018—Three American Quarter Horse stakes are on the schedule when Fair Grounds Racecourse hosts its annual Louisiana Champions Day on Saturday. Following is a preview of all three stakes: Louisiana Champions Day Derby (RG3) Second Down Leaving, a bay son of Coronas Leaving You racing for Eulalio Argote and Victor Alvarado, is one of a dozen state-bred sophomores entered in this ...

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI PORTLAND, OR—NOVEMBER 30, 2018Sig Aumueller’s Okey Dokey Road, a homebred son of champion Okey Dokey Dale, will be seeking his first stakes victory in Monday’s 400-yard, $15,650 Portland Meadows Fall Derby. Okey Dokey Road will be stretching out in distance off of his neck victory in a 350-yard, $4,500 non-winners-of-three allowance dash at Portland Meadows on October 29. The gelding has won three of eight starts and has earned $10,093. Okey Dokey Road drew post 9 and will be ridden by Robert Burney for trainer ...

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI HOBBS, NM—NOVEMBER 29, 2018—Five official stakes for American Quarter Horses, topped by the 440-yard, $200,000 Zia Park Championship (G1), will headline Sunday’s 10-race program at Zia Park. A field of 12 aged runners, including two also-eligible entries, has been entered in the Zia Park Championship. Major Bites, the 5-2 morning-line favorite, will be facing open company off of his 1 1/2-length victory in the ...

LOS ALAMITOS, CA—NOVEMBER 25, 2018—Graded derby winners Jess My Kiss, A Political Lady and Black Fryday are among the sophomores that will be in action in the trials to the Grade 2, $162,850 Southern California Derby on Friday at Los Alamitos. The eight-race program will also feature a Pick Six carryover of $9,147 and starts in race number three. Thirty-three runners will be in action in the trials with the horses with the 10 fastest ...

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI PORTLAND, OR—NOVEMBER 23, 2018—Connie Chumbley’s GC Harrys Game, a homebred stakes-winning son of champion Carters Cartel, will make his next start in Sunday’s 400-yard Baxter Andruss Futurity trials at Portland Meadows. Trained by Scott Raley, GC Harrys Game will be stretching out in distance off of his half-length victory in the November 4, 350-yard Far West Futurity at ...

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI PHOENIX, AZ—NOVEMBER 22, 2018—Unregulated Cash, a Favorite Cartel gelding owned and trained by Jose Botello, is one of 26 3-year-olds entered in Sunday’s 400-yard AQRA Turf Paradise Open Derby trials at Turf Paradise. Unregulated Cash brings a three-race win streak into the first of three heats. The gelding will be stretching out in distance off of his neck victory as the ...