Two-time Champion of Champions winner Apollitical Pence will compete in the Z. Wayne Griffin Directors Trials are held on Sunday night at Los Alamitos.     

© Dustin Orona Photography

LOS ALAMITOS, CA—NOVEMBER 11, 2022–The final berths to the 50th running of the Grade 1, $750,000 Champion of Champions will be decided when two Z. Wayne Griffin Directors Trials are held on Sunday night at Los Alamitos.     

A total of 11 horses will be in action in the 400-yard trials with at least four berths to the Champion of Champions up for grabs on Sunday.

The horses with four fastest times during the trials will earn presumptive berths to the 440-yard Champion of Champions to be held here on Saturday, December 10.   

Dunn Ranch’s Apollitical Pence qualified to the Champion of Champions via these trials each of the past two years and then went on to win the prestigious 440-yard classic both times.

With that in mind, Apollitical Pence’s trainer Monty Arrossa did not want to change his preparation for this year’s running even though his charge had already qualified to the Champion of Champions thanks to winning the Brad McKinzie Los Alamitos Winter Derby and the Robert Boniface Los Alamitos Championship.

As a result, Apollitical Pence will headline the first of two Directors Trials against a field that include Ed Allred’s Circle City, who’ll be looking to qualify to the Champion of Champions for a second consecutive year.

EG High Desert Farms’ La Estrella Corona, Sergio Castillo’s Jessapolliticalgirl, and Vic3tory LLC’s Katella Avenue will also compete in the opening trial.  

Rosenthal Ranch’s Powerful Favorite will headline a very strong second trial as he bids to qualify to this race for the third time. The millionaire winner of $1,199,000 in earnings will be retired at the end of this year according to trainer Chris O’Dell and nothing would be sweeter for his connections than to see the 6-year-old gelding earn another trip to the Champion of Champions.

M&G Farms’ AQHA champion Golden Boi makes a quick return to action in these trials. He’ll enter this event after running third to Bomb Cyclone in the Los Alamitos Super Derby last week.

Dunn Ranch’s Grade 1 winner Whizkey Glasses and Link Newcomb’s multiple stakes winner Cattail Cove will be joined by Valeriano Racing’s PCQHRA Breeders Derby winner Sweet Dasha Fire and Vic3tory LLC’s  Apollitical Famous V.

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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 losalamitos.com.