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HOT HITTER IS ONE OF MANY HIGHLIGHTS ON GREAT CHAMPIONS NIGHT

CYPRESS, CA… JULY 31, 2010 - Balgo Racing Team scored their second major futurity victory of the Los Alamitos campaign after Hot Hitter gave the red-hot owners the win in the $428,000 Governor’s Cup Futurity on Saturday’s California Breeders Champions Night. Contested at 350 yards and featuring nine outstanding Cal-bred 2-year-old Quarter Horses, the Governor’s Cup was the richest race in the outstanding 11-race program on Champions Night, that featured combined total purses of $939,500.

Numbers for the night were up across the board. The on-track handle of $335,655 for this year’s program was up 31% in comparison to last year’s 11-race Champions Night card. The all-source handle for the night (which includes import simulcast races) was just shy of $2 million. The actual figure of $1,993,467 was up 25% from last year’s card. Los Alamitos also featured an on-track t-shirt giveaway featuring reigning World Champion Freaky that helped boost attendance by 25% over last year’s on-track mystery mutuel voucher promotion.

On the racing strip, the action was tremendous from the opening race to the final sprint. The Felipe Quintero-trained Hot Hitter finished as the night’s big star after taking home a first place prize of $177,660 for winning the Governor’s Cup. In only his fourth start of the year, the Ed Allred-bred son of Walk Thru Fire out of Chickasis picked up his second victory in four outings. This was also the second trip to the winner’s circle for Balgo Racing following a big-money race for 2-year-olds at the Orange County track this season. Earlier in the meet, Jose and Maria Gonzalez of Balgo Racing picked up the crystal after West Coast Hawk won the Kindergarten Futurity. Both West Coast Hawk and Hot Hitter were purchased at the Los Alamitos Equine Sale.

“We’ll have to look for a place in our home to display our new trophy,” said Jose Gonzalez. “We won the Kindergarten with trainer Jose Flores and now this race with trainer Felipe Quintero. At the start of the season I decided to give horses to a couple of different trainers because I wanted to create a little competition between them. I wanted them to feel a little pressure and they’ve actually both have handled it great.

“When I bought this horses at the Equine Sale I was looking for horses based on their dams,” Gonzalez added. “I like mares that I know and I’ll probably look for babies from the same types of mares at this year’s Equine Sale. I can’t wait to receive my catalog so that I can start looking at the babies and doing my homework. Arnulfo Covarrubias helps me look at the babies and we’ve been fortunate. This has been an amazing experience and so much fun. Both of these horses are in the PCQHRA Breeders Futurity and then West Coast Hawk will be pointed to the Golden State Million Futurity, while Hot Hitter will be going after the Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity. To win a couple of more futurities with these horses that would be a dream. We will keep on dreaming that dream and hope that we can make it happen.”

Hot Hitter, who is a half brother to 2008 Governor’s Cup Futurity winner Hard Hitting, covered the distance in :17.250. Mimi Wells’ Tough To Tell earned $71,910 for running second in the futurity for trainer Dan Francisco. The veteran conditioner also saddled the third place finisher Hawks Dream Girl for Childers Ranch LLC. Hawks Dream Girl earned $50,760. Moppet, Girlie Man, Fearless And First, La Panza, Viansa, and Silveree completed the field.

PINK BOOTS RM STOMPS COMPETITION

Pink is the new green or maybe gold. Either way, the filly Pink Boots Rm made plenty of cash when she picked up her sixth win in a row while scoring in the $204,000 Governor’s Cup Derby in the Golden State’s most prestigious night of Cal-bred racing. Owned by Sergio Rodriguez’s Isla Vista Ranch, Pink Boots RM earned $83,580 for taking home the Derby Cup.

“She impresses me more and more,” said trainer Adan Farias, who enjoyed four victories on the night. “I enjoyed all of her previous victories but a (Restricted) Grade 1 win changes everything. When you can beat horses in a Grade 1 race, now you are talking about a different caliber of horse. I think we will now try to the Mildred Vessels Memorial Handicap (on September 18) and we would love to go to the Champion of Champions.”

The horse won the biggest race she has ever won so far tonight, but owner Sergio Rodriguez came into this race very confident about this race’s outcome. He had reasons to be confident. All week long he received good reports from his vet, and the horse was coming off the fastest qualifying time in the derby trials.

Rodriguez came to the U.S. with no money. Today he has two well-known restaurants in San Diego named Super Sergio’s. His father owned horses since Sergio was an infant, so his interest in racing started as a hobby. He has come on strong the last two years and this season has been particularly good thanks to horses like Pink Boots RM.

“Today we have about sixteen horses coming up and waiting their turn to take the track,” Rodriguez said.

Ridden by Rodrigo Aceves, Pink Boots RM covered the distance in :19.507. Childers Ranch LLC’s Peace Fire finished in second place, just shy of becoming only the seventh horse to win both the Governor’s Cup Futurity and Derby. Peace Fire, trained by
Dan Francisco, earned $33,830 for the victory. First Down King, Fishin Party, Env, Chickafire, Thinking Jazz, Brazilian Dasher, Lovin This Corona, and What Fire completed the field.

A TEMPTING DASH RETURNS TO THE TOP OF HIS GAME

A horse with class will always be a horse with class. A Tempting Dash proved that on Champions Night, as the winner of the 2009 Los Alamitos Winter Derby ran a tremendous race to hold off A Streakinson by ¾ lengths in the $100,000 Spencer L. Childers California Breeders Championship Handicap on Saturday.

Now racing for the same connections that campaign this year’s Los Alamitos Winter Derby and El Primero Del Ano Derby winner Headturner, A Tempting Dash only recently arrived to the barn of trainer Jose Flores after being purchased privately from owners Ron and Denise VanAmburgh and Giambi Stables. A Tempting Dash carved himself a highly productive year in 2009, as he hit the board in races like the Governor’s Cup Derby and Golden State Derby last year. He struggled towards the end of 2009 and had been finding winning equally tough this year. That changed on Champions Night when the son of First Down Dash flew out of the gate from post seven to take a daylight advantage over his rivals. He stretched his lead to 1 ½ lengths before crossing the wire3/4 lengths ahead of the pack in a time of :19.293. His winning time in this race is second all-time only behind Freaky’s:19.19 in last year’s Spencer Childers.

“We were big fans of this race because he is such a gamer,” said Hector Rios, who was representing the new connections of A Tempting Dash in the winner’s circle. “He is a good looking horse and we always hoped that he would return to his top form. We hope that the Champion of Champions is in his future.”

Ridden by Juan Andrade, A Tempting Dash earned $50,000 for the win to take his career earnings to $361,080. Racing for Steve Burns, John Andreini and Danny Cardoza, A Streakinson earned $17,000 for his second place finish. He also finished second in the Vessels Maturity on June 18. Bloke, Frankie Shoots, Secret Path, Hulapai, Hawkish Got Rhythm, Go Straight, Por Luzr, and He Could Be The One completed the field.

MERRIDOC HAWK DOES IN AGAIN

Stick Merridoc Hawk in the starting gate for a stakes race and the results have been great so far this year. Owned by EG High Desert Farms and trained by Eloy Navarro, Merridoc Hawk won her fourth stakes race of the meet after earning a nose decision over Hawk Kue Pie to win the $50,000 Matron Stakes. The field also featured last year’s Matron winner My Lady First, who also ran in last year’s Champion of Champions.

Merridoc Hawk’s stakes wins this year have come in the Flare For Toby, Florentine, and Kaweah Bar handicaps, plus the Matron, which is clearly her best victory to date.

“It feels like it has been a while since her last stakes win (the Kaweah Bar on April 24) and it’s a good feeling to pick up this type of victory,” said Enrique Gonzalez of EG High Desert. “She’s a healthy mare and always gives you a consistent effort. She’s probably not the type to be in the biggest races, but she’s a good runner. No one gives you these victories. A horse has to go out there and battle to win it. She does that and for that I am proud of how she represents herself. We’ll have to take a close look at the Mildred Vessels now.”

Merridoc Hawk was ridden by G.R. Carter, who was piloting his first ever stakes winner for EG High Desert Farms. A daughter of Hawkinson, Merridoc Hawk crossed the wire in :19.466. She earned $25,000 to take her career earnings to $89,715. Racing for Steve Burns and trainer Mike Casselman, Hawk Kue Pie earned $8,500 for running second. Suger Mama, My Lady First, Sizzling PJ, Totally Hawkinson, Lost In Love, First Magical Dash and Shescheckinumout completed the field.

BIG PAPPY IN SPRINT

Ramiro Leira’s Pappyscoronalilbro is finally a stakes winner at the age six after posting a half length victory in the $25,000 Sprint Stakes at 350 yards. A veteran of 40 races coming into this race, Pappyscoronalilbro has found the Fountain of Youth over the past year or so. He’s picked up four wins from his last 10 starts while finishing in the money in every single outing. Trained by Adan Farias and ridden by Rodrigo Aceves, the son of Corona Czech covered the distance in :17.296. Earlier this year, he posted a 330-yard track record at Los Alamitos of :16.25.

“He is the first horse that I raced at the track,” said Leira, a contractor in Palm Springs. “I’ve loved the horses since I was a boy and had some match race at the bush tracks. It was Pappyscoronalilbro that gave me my first win at the racetrack. We claimed him for $4,000 and what a find he has been. He has overcome a great deal in his career and even though he is a small horse, his heart is huge. He’s a special horse. To win a stakes race with him makes me feel like I’ve accomplished something in this sport.”

Leira was joined in the winner’s circle by over 30 family members that came to see Pappy run on the big night.

“For him to do it in front of all my family, I feel like a hero,” Leira said. “It’s such a happy moment for me and my family.”

LEAVING THE SUGAR IS SO SWEET IN CLAIMING TEST

The first race of Champions Night resulted in a nose victory for Jim Hanson’s Leaving The Sugar in the 350-yard Sophomore Claiming Stakes.

“All week long I’ve been worried about the 350 yards,” said Ryan Hanson, the son and assistant trainer of Jim Hanson. “This horse does not want to run a yard after 300, so the distance was bothering me. He came through tonight. They were catching him at the end but he figured a way to win.”

Leaving The Sugar’s close knit decision came over Girl Fooler and the difference was about $5,000 worth. Leaving The Sugar earned $8,250 for the win, while Girl Fooler settled for $3,375 for running second.

“My dad went home to Idaho in early summer and he took Leaving The Sugar with him,” Hanson said. “He had a couple of races there and he did okay. The derbies there are all 400 yards and he doesn’t like that distance at all. When he came back he finished in sixth place. The drop in class helped him the most to win this race.”

Horses in this race were able to be claimed for $5,000.

“MONGOOSE” McEWEN FINDS THE WINNER’S CIRCLE AGAIN

Tom McEwen, the Hall of Fame Drag Racer who went by the name of the “Mongoose”, has another nice runner in his arsenal and her name is Mongoosecharminghawk. The Hawkinson filly edged Irish Idol by a nose to win the Debutante Stakes and the $13,750 first place prize that goes along with the victory. Trained by Dennis Givens and ridden by Jay Conklin, she covered the distance in :17.33.

Tom’s chief competitor in drag racing was a man nicknamed “The Snake.” They marketed this competition and the logos they used for promotion. Their fierce competition became so popular that Tom took this idea to Mattel Toys in the 60’s, and it developed into the miniature Match Box cars every kid in America owned a generation ago. Two of the most popular cars were “The Mongoose” and “The Snake.” His name and idea was also behind the Mongoose BMX bikes in the 70’s. That became a billion dollar industry. Everything McEwen owns has the “Mongoose”.

McEwen and Givens have worked together since 1978. Making her first start at 350 yards, the Burns Ranch-bred mare Mongoosecharminghawk was picking up her second straight victory. Her mother is Charming Effort, who produced Los Alamitos Maiden Stakes winner Mongoose Hawkette.

SNITCHER WINS THE JENS LIST HANDICAP

Owner and breeder Armando Leon appears to have hit it big with the gelding named Snitcher. Purchased privately this spring, Snitcher had yet to win for his new connections that included trainer Adan Farias. In the Jens List Memorial Stakes, the TR Dasher gelding posted his best race yet, as he was always in control while winning the race in :19.309. Snitcher also managed to defeat the razor sharp gelding Regal Tol, who came into this race having won four races in a row.

Leon has a couple of mares he breeds here in California, but the bulk of his business is in Mexico where he has about 40-50 mares. He has been in the business for about 12 years. He is being prepared for the Southern California Derby.

FIRST DOWN ILLUSION AND UNA NOCHE MAS WIN FRESHMAN STAKES

The Freshman Stakes was split into two divisions. The winner of the first division was David and Ross Hinkins’ Ed Burke Million Futurity winner First Down Illusion, who was making his first start since winning the $1 million race in June. First Down Illusion won his division by a nose over Fall For It. First Down Illusion could make his next start in the trials to the PCQHRA Breeders Futurity. The colt is also eligible to win the $1 million Los Alamitos Cash Bonanza if he proceeds to win the Golden State Million and Los Alamitos Two Million futurities.

“We have to run him and keep him sharp,” said Ross Hinkins. “Every one of his races the stakes are high.”

“We have already received some calls from breeding farms asking for him to stand at their place,” David Hinkins. “It looked like he needed the race. There’s a saying in racing, ‘race against the best owners in the world, but against the easiest fields that you can possibly find.’ This wasn’t an easy field at all. He had to work to win. We’ll keep him here now so that (trainer) Adan Farias can keep his eyes on him.”

“It’s almost too late to take him anywhere now,” Ross Hinkins added.


First Down Illusion covered the distance in :17.591.

The second heat went to Juan Mejia’s Una Noche Man. Juan Mejia is both the owner and breeder of Una Noche Mas. He said the horse has a lot of heart and passion for the Los Alamitos track, which is the reason he won tonight.

“I wwas right there with him and his mother at Una Noche’s birth,” Mejia said. “We held him and talked to him all night on the night he was born. Just a week ago I had a dream of this win tonight.”

Juan regards himself as a simple man, but t is evident that with horses he is special. He raced them as a kid, and second to his family, horses are his passion and his life Mejia said.

Una Noche Mas covered the distance in :17.645.


LOS ALAMITOS IS PARADISE FOR VETERAN RUNNER

Paradise Point won his 4th race in a row after conquering the $17,500 Senior Claiming Stakes at 400 yards. A veteran performer at Los Alamitos, Paradise Point runs for owner Erasmo Hernandez, and his brother who is the trainer, Hector Jaime Hernandez. The two claimed him for $3,200 two years ago and since then he has made about $70,000.

Before the brothers claimed him, he had only won one race, but they felt that he could do better. They guessed right and hit the jackpot. Asked what the significant feature about Paradise Point is, Hector said that “he gives 100% in every race. Some horses are unpredictable about racing behavior, but Paradise Point is consistent.” Their plans are to keep him at around the $5,000 claiming level.

Both Hector and Erasmo have been around horses in their family since children. Professional racing has been Erasmo’s business since the 80’s. He owns seven other horses and a ranch named OK Corral. Paradise Point covered the distance in :19.608.
 

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