You Cant Drive 95 is one of ten contenders in the 18th running of the Blane Schvaneveldt Handicap at Los Alamitos on Sunday.

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LOS ALAMITOS, CA–OCTOBER 4, 2024–On a night showcasing some of the top runners in the Intermountain, Northwest and Canada, there will be two trials to the Restricted Grade 3 $77,800 Wild West Futurity plus the running of the $35,000 Blane Schvaneveldt Stakes on Sunday at Los Alamitos.

Horses in the 350-yard Wild West trials needed at least one start in 2024 in the regions listed above to be eligible for this race. The opening Wild West trial will feature juveniles who have raced at seven different racetracks in addition to Los Alamitos.

The other Wild West trial features 2-year-olds who have competed at nine different tracks in addition to Los Alamitos. The trials are scheduled as races seven and eight on the nine-race program, with the Blane Schvaneveldt set as the ninth race on the card.

Carolyn and Ralph Fales’ Ruff And Rowdy and Dave Merritt and Kim Newman’s M E Verystablegenius are the two richest runners in the opening trial. Each has made over $15,000, with the Tell Cartel gelding Ruff And Rowdy running third in the Desert Classic Futurity and M E Verystablegenius flying to a three-length victory as the big favorite in a final for Idaho-breds at the Oneida County Fairgrounds. The gelding by Kvn Corona was also third in the Roche Equine Futurity in Jerome, Idaho.

J Lazy Six Racing’s Heartlande, third in the $66,000 John Deere California Juvenile Challenge, began his career at Turf Paradise before three strong efforts at Los Alamitos. In addition to his stakes placed effort, Heartlande ran second in a maiden event and was second to eventual winner Apollitical Bet in their California Juvenile trial.

Michael McKell’s Notin Missing Here is the richest runner in the second Wild West trial. Trained in the Intermountain region by Sergio Canales and now in the barn of trainer Monty Arrossa, the Utah-bred filly by KVN Corona won the $37,000 Pocatello Downs Spring Futurity after entering the race as the third-fastest qualifier. Bred by McColee Land & Livestock, Notin Missing Here also ran third in the Grade 3 Bitterroot Futurity and has finished in the money in six of seven career starts.

Each of the other entrants in this trial has already raced in a futurity, including Bitterroot finalists M E Closing Time and Go Tell Carter. The horses with the ten fastest times in the Wild West will advance to the rich final, which will be held here on Saturday, October 26.

DESERT CLASSIC WINNERS HEADLINE BLANE SCHVANEVELDT

Carolyn and Ralph Fales’ Higher Heat and J Lazy Six Racing’s You Cant Drive 95, both winners of stakes at Turf Paradise, are among the top contenders in the running of the 18th running of the Blane Schvaneveldt Handicap. The Blane Schvaneveldt is named in honor of the all-time leading trainer at Los Alamitos in terms of career wins and career stakes wins. A native of Preston, Idaho, Schvaneveldt won a record nine Champion of Champions and is a member of the AQHA Hall of Fame.

Higher Heat was moved up to first in the Desert Classic Derby earlier this year following a disqualification and, from there, ran a solid fourth in the AQRA Turf Paradise Derby. To be ridden by Jesus Canales, the gelding by Heat Warning is trained by Matt Fales, who has won a stakes record four runnings of the Blane Schvaneveldt.

You Cant Drive 95 won the 2023 Desert Classic Futurity and ran in last year’s Wild West Futurity here. The You Dont Fly filly has posted runner-up efforts in the Desert Classic Derby and the $100,000 Gillette Derby this year. She’s also the richest in this field, with over $70,000 in her bank account.

Larry and Joyce Mower’s Fire Of The Mountain has had a fine 2024 campaign, winning three of his four starts, including the Iron Horse Maturity in a 350-yard track record time at Weber Downs on May 19. He also finished second in the $100,000 Silks & Spurs at Energy Downs in Wyoming.

Dave Merritt and Kim Newman’s M E Ettago Relent, a stakes winner at the Oneida County Fair in addition to being a stakes-placed runner in two other events, will start from post number one in the Blane Schvaneveld, while two-time stakes finalist Basking and 2023 Bitterroot Derby runner-up Jess Yaya will also be a part of this race. Monty Arrossa will saddle M E Ettago Relent, Fire Of The Mountain and Jess Yaya, while Heath Taylor will send out You Cant Drive 95 and Basking.

The running of the Grade 1 Robert Boniface Los Alamitos Invitational Championship will be held on Saturday, October 12. Horses that could participate in this 440-yard event include 2022 AQHA World Champion Empressum and 2023 Los Alamitos Super Derby winner Jeriko. Empressum already won the Vessels Maturity and Go Man Go Handicap here this season, while Jeriko was first to the finish line in the Go Man Go but was disqualified due to interference. In February, he also ran second to London Toby in the Brad McKinzie Los Alamitos Winter Championship. London Toby is another possible starter in the Invitational. In addition to his Winter Championship win, London Toby won the Be A Bono and the Spencer Childers and was third in the Vessels Maturity.