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Race Thru The Fire, Vamoosing, Rite On Time, Other World All Enjoy Stakes Wins On Champions Weekend
Race Thru Fire, under jockey Cruz Mendez, winning the California Breeders' Freshman Fillies Stakes on Sunday.

© William Zuazo
Race Thru The Fire, Vamoosing, Rite On Time, Other World All Enjoy Stakes Wins On Champions Weekend

LOS ALAMITOS, CA—AUGUST 1, 2021—The second night of California Breeders Champions Weekend featured an array of stakes events for juveniles and sophomore runners on Sunday evening.

The stakes action was highlighted by the first stakes winner at Los Alamitos by freshman sire Fly Thru The Fire in the Freshman Stakes for Fillies; an upset by Vamoosing over Grade 1 stakes winner Golden Boi in the Freshman Stakes; the first stakes winner by a three-year-old for Haras Portofino in the Debutante Stakes; and another strong performance by Valentin Zamudio’s newest purchase, the Foose gelding Other World, in the Jens List Memorial Stakes.

Owned and bred by Steve Burns, Race Thru The Fire won the $25,000 Freshman Stakes for Fillies at 14-1 odds to give the stallion Fly Thru The Fire his first stakes winner. It’s been a good weekend for the stallion as his son, Watch Out, ran second in the $310,000 Governor’s Cup Futurity on Saturday.

Vamoosing (#6) gets up over Cactus Jack (#5) in the California. Breeders Freshman Stakes. © William Zuazo
Ridden by Cruz Mendez for trainer Steve Burns, Race Thru The Fire led the Debutante from start to finish to win the 350-yard dash by a half-length. Out of the Separatist mare Miss Racy Racie, she covered the distance in :17.885, while earning $13,750 for winning the race. La Blue Amore, a finalist to the Robert Adair Kindergarten Futurity, finished second in this race.

The biggest upset of the night came in the $25,000 Freshman Stakes as Ed Allred’s homebred Vamoosing outdueled stablemate Cactus Jack and Grade 1 Ed Burke Million Futurity winner Golden Boi to win the 350-yard dash. Leaving the gate from the outside post five, Vamoosing crossed the wire a nose in front of Cactus Jack to post his second win in five starts this season. Ridden by Henry Reynoso Lopez for trainer James Glenn, Jr., the gelding by Seperate Interest covered the distance in :17.874 and earned $13,750 for the win.

Rite On Time, under jockey Ramon Sanchez, winning the California Breeders' Debutante Stakes on Sunday. © Amber Mendez
For Allred, the Vamoosing/Cactus Jack exacta gave him his third 1-2 finish on this Champions Weekend. On Saturday night, The Hall of Fame owner and breeder had a trifecta in the Spencer Childers Championship Handicap courtesy of Circle City, Nomadic and Chocolatito and the exacta in the Governor’s Cup Futurity with She Goes Up and Watch Out.

Golden Boi, the big favorite in this race, stumbled at the start and didn’t have a clear racing lane from there, while running a surprising third.

Other World, under jockey Ruben Lozano, winning the $25,000 Jens L. List, Jr. Memorial California Breeders' Stakes at Los Alamitos. © Amber Mendez
Haras Portofino’s Rite On Time was tremendous in the Debutante for 3-year-old fillies at 350 yards, as she flew from post five, took the lead early and cruised from there to a 1 ¼ length victory in a time of :17.634. Ridden by Ramon Sanchez for trainer Paul Jones, the brown filly by Favorite Cartel earned $13,750 for the win. This was her fourth win in nine starts and second in a row. A finalist to last year’s PCQHRA Breeders Futurity, Rite On Time has now earned $42,168. Her victory also gave Sanchez his 152nd stakes win at Los Alamitos, leaving him just one shy of tying Eddie Garcia for most ever at the Orange County oval.

In the $25,000 Jens List Memorial Stakes for 3-year-olds, Other World broke out and had a bumped start, but he still put together his third winning effort in row with Ruben Lozano in the irons. The Foose gelding out of the Thoroughbred mare Celestial Being covered the 400 yards in :19.944 while adding $13,750 to his bank account.

His two other most recent wins came in allowance races for previous trainer Scott Willoughby. Zamudio purchased Other World privately following his victory on July 9 and the owner has been immediately rewarded with this stakes win. The Clemente Hurtado-trainee Favorite Fly finished second and was followed by Steve Burns’ Katella Avenue.

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For more info, please contact larace@losalamitos.com. Follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @losalracing or visit us online at www.losalamitos.com.