Apollitical Pence holds off Empressum in Brad McKinzie Los Alamitos Winter Championship
CYPRESS, Calif. – The rivalry between the millionaire Quarter Horses Apollitical Pence and Empressum that began last fall has carried into 2023.
In Sunday’s $144,950 Brad McKinzie Los Alamitos Winter Championship, Apollitical Pence broke sharply in the 400-yard race for older horses and held off a surging Empressum to win by a nose.
Sent off as the second choice in a field of 10, Apollitical Pence ($9.40) finished in 19.38 seconds. Empressum, the 1-2 favorite, finished 1 1/2 lengths clear of 4-1 Scoops Dynasty.
The win gave Apollitical Pence a 2-1 advantage in meetings with Empressum. They were first and second in the $125,000 Robert Boniface Los Alamitos Championship in October. Empressum won the $750,000 Champion of Champions in December, with Apollitical Pence third behind Danjer.
Empressum’s win in the Champion of Champions, the nation’s richest race for older Quarter Horses, secured the title of World Champion, or Quarter Horse of the Year, for the gelding.
The Winter Championship was expected to be a close race between those runners. Apollitical Pence, ridden by Armando Cervantes, essentially won the race in the first 50 yards with a brilliant start. Empressum, ridden by Rodrigo Vallejo, trailed by 1 1/4 lengths midway through the race and just missed catching Apollitical Pence.
Apollitical Pence, a 7-year-old gelding, races for Matt and Bendi Dunn and trainer Monty Arrossa. Apollitical Pence has won 19 of 37 starts and earned $1,775,614.
Empressum, a 5-year-old gelding trained by Heath Taylor, has won 18 of 25 starts and earned $1,650,617.
Arrossa and Taylor said their runners will be rested in coming months, with campaigns geared toward the second half of the year and an appearance in the Champion of Champions on Dec. 9.
Apollitical Pence earned an automatic berth to the Champion of Champions with Sunday’s win.
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