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© Jake Rogers / Ruidoso Downs
LOS ALAMITOS, CA—NOVEMBER 14, 2020—The final presumptive berths to the Grade 1, $600,000 Champion of Champions will be up for grabs in a pair of Z. Wayne Griffin Directors Trials at 400 yards on Sunday at Los Alamitos.
There is always one berth available in the Directors Trials, and with the announced retirement of All American Derby winner Gold Heart Eagle V, it appears that there will be at least one additional presumptive berth to the Champion of Champions within reach in Sunday’s trials.
Other berths could open up in the weeks closer to the December 12 Champion of Champions.
Fourteen horses have been entered in the Z. Wayne Griffin Directors Trials with the outstanding 7-year-old gelding Zoomin For Spuds the marquee runner, as he looks to earn a fifth consecutive trip to the Champion of Champions.
The great Refrigerator, the only three-time winner of the Champion of Champions, and Jess You And I, the 2008 Champion of Champions winner, are the only horses with five appearances in the 440-yard classic.
Bred by the late Jim Walker and now racing for Walker Family Trust, Zoomin For Spuds won the Champion of Champions as a 3-year-old in 2016 and has been looking for a repeat victory ever since. He’s been in fine form this year, winning the Catchmeinyourdreams Handicap on September 19 and has hit the board in his two other starts, both coming in Grade 1 stakes races.
He finished third to Powerful Favorite in the Go Man Go Handicap on August 30 and in his most recent start he finished second by a nose to Chocolatito in the Grade 1 Robert Boniface Los Alamitos Invitational Championship at 440 yards. Monty Arrossa will saddle Zoomin For Spuds, who will be ridden by Jose Nicasio in the second of two trials.
Owned by Mauricio and Miguel Gallardo, Hotsempting will make her Los Alamitos debut following a tremendous campaign at Ruidoso Downs. The Tempting Dash filly won the Ruidoso Derby, finishing second in the Rainbow Derby and was fourth in the All American Derby. Trained by Paul Jones, Hotsempting worked under the lights here on October 23, covering the 300-yards from the gate in :16.40. Hotsempting will also be in action in the second trial.
Other top runners in the trials include All American Derby runner-up Inaugurator; Apollitical Pence, who ran third in the Debbie Schauf Invitational Championship; Bail Czech, who won the Spencer Childers California Breeders Championship Handicap; Eagle Coast, who was third in the Robert Boniface; and 2018 Champion of Champions runner-up Jesstacartel. Seven other top aged runners will be in action in the Directors Trials.
Courtesy of www.losalamitos.com.