2023 Southern California Breeders Freshman Stakes Winner Ready For it is entered in the $30,000 James Smith Memorial Handicap on Saturday at Los Alamitos.

© Los Alamitos

LOS ALAMITOS, CA–APRIL 4, 2024–Juniors Quarter Horses, Inc’s Ready For It, who ran a tremendous race when finishing second to fastest qualifier BP Cartel Policy in the Grade 1, $174,200 Los Alamitos Winter Derby final, will look to become a multiple stakes winner when he headlines a solid field of eight in the running of the $30,000 James Smith Memorial Handicap on Saturday at Los Alamitos. Nine races are set for the evening program in what should be a sensational day of racing in Southern California with it being Santa Anita Derby Day at the Great Race Place that is Santa Anita Park.

Ready For It was all systems go on Winter Derby night, as he broke close to the impressive BP Cartel Policy and was second best in the 400-yard final as the 5-2 second choice in the wagering. He had previously shown his talent in the Winter Derby trials, as he dominated his heat by 3/4-lengths while doing so in gate to wire fashion. A winner in three of his seven career starts, Ready For It also won the California Breeders Freshman Stakes last year. The gelding by Favorite Cartel is out of the restricted Grade 1 winner Up For It. Ready For It is a full brother to (RG1) 2022 Spencer Childers California Breeders Championship Handicap winner Up And Atem. Monty Arrossa trained Ready For It.

The field will also feature Winners Share and MV Royal Pappasito, who faced each other in the Grade 2 PCQHRA Breeders Futurity last year. Winners Share ran fifth in the Breeders Futurity after winning his trial to that race. He was also second to Ready For It in the Freshman Stakes last year. Owned by Steve Burns, Winners Share is trained by Mike Casselman. A gelding by Seperate Interest, Winners Share is out of the stakes place mare One Sweet Winner, who ran third in the 2017 Denim N Diamonds at Los Alamitos.

Andrea and Eddie Jensen’s Mv Royal Pappasito has won three of 11 starts and earned over $57,000 in his already solid career. Seventh in the Breeders Futurity, Mv Royal Pappasito had better stakes showings in the John Deere California Juvenile Challenge at Los Alamitos, where he finished second, and in the Grade 2 AQHA Juvenile Challenge Championship Stakes at Lone Star Park, where he ran third. His most recent start was a troubled sixth place finish in his trial to the El Primero Del Ano Derby.

Reliance Ranches’ Tres Toledo and Juan Avila’s Relief Factor are two other solid contenders in this event. Tres Toledo is a two-time local winner, who also posted solid efforts in the big Grade 1 futurity trials at Ruidoso Downs in New Mexico. Relief Factor has also delivered nice efforts in trials to major races. He was third in his All American Futurity trial at Ruidoso Downs and at Los Alamitos he was second in his trials to both the Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity and Golden State Million Futurity. He enters this race after running fourth in the Los Alamitos Maiden Stakes.

CD Horses’ CD Docs Candidata, a multiple local allowance winner, Juan Carlos Chavez’s Sneaky Kid, a winner of a trial to the Governor’s Cup Futurity, and Reliance Ranches’ Favorite Won, who out nosed Winners Share in an allowance event on January 7, will complete the field.