Breaking down the Los Alamitos Champion of Champions

[TitanSooner]

This should go in the "Non-Thoroughbred" forum, but they are my selections.

Tonight is the biggest race of the year for Quarter Horses 3 year olds and up. Here's my analysis.

Looking at the favorite, the number 5 mare Apollitical Time (9/5).. she simply STANDS OUT HUGE on class and speed. She breaks like a rocket every time and is dazzling. It's hard seeing her getting beat.

However, one other runner really intrigues me..

#2 Country Chicks Man (8/1).. This invader from Texas/Oklahoma can flat break the gate down. He's going to need to as he's drawn inside the very speedy Wave Carver. On class alone, this 5yo ungelded son of Chicks Beduino is a BIG play. I'm usually against horses coming in to run for the first time under the lights here at Los Al. That being said, Sparky Mullins drilled him under the lights back on November 28 in 18.10. The work looked awesome. He's a bullet out of the gate, and if he breaks on top, the top choice may never head him. A win here would wrap up the AQHA world championship.

Horses to use underneath (in order of preference)..

#8 Strawkins (8/1).. Paul Jones/Cody Jensen combo is your Pletcher/Velasquez combo of the quarter horses. This 3yo gelding who won the Rainbow Derby at Ruidoso in July finished up strong in his trial race behind the top choice. I don't think Jensen asked this horse for his best, but just enough to qualify. Of course this is speculation. Two races back, however, he bobbled out of the gate and made up ground on Apollitical Time in the Grade 1 Los Al Championship. I don't see getting 8 to 1, maybe closer to 5 or 6 to 1.

#10 Be a Bono (5/2).. G.R. Carter gets the call on this top notch gelding. In the Los Al Championship, he was completely eliminated at the start. Draw a line through that race and you find three straight victories. Being drawn on the outside, the break will be less dramatic. I still see Be a Bono just a little to slow out of the blocks to win this, but it would be foolish to leave him off underneath.

#3 Wave Carver (3/1).. Hard to fault this gutsy 3yo colt. He's been first or second in 15 of 17 races lifetime and has won 7 of his last 9. This is his first attempt facing older horses and needs to fire big to keep up with these monsters. He definitely has the ability to do so.

#6 Blazin Fire (15/1).. Yet another quick mare qualifies for this field. She may just be a cut below the top ones. Has not shown a 440 yard race in her running lines, but it appears to me that the extra 40 yards will only help. I can definitely see her "running on" for 3rd, maybe 2nd.

Good luck if you play!
I'm off to the races.

-Chris

[Scav]

Apolitical is the nuts. Onaka was yapping about Strawkins last night a little bit.

[TitanSooner]

yapping would be the correct word

[Scav]

I like Weaver the best because he has some balls, Onaka is a chalk eater but Los Al tends to be chalky (in my experience). It is all how you play tickets there IMO