Chocolatito outduels Zoomin for Spuds in Robert Boniface Los Alamitos Championship

Chocolatito caught Zoomin for Spuds in the final strides to win Sunday’s $125,000 Robert Boniface Los Alamitos Championship, confirming his status as the nation’s leading older horse in advance of the $600,000 Champion of Champions on Dec. 12.

Ridden by Oscar Andrade, Jr., Chocolatito trailed Zoomin for Spuds by about a length midway through the 440-yard race and traded the lead with his rival in the last 30 yards before prevailing by a nose.

Sent off favored, Chocolatito paid $4.40 and was timed in 21.37 seconds.

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Eagle Coast, the winner of the Rainbow Derby at Ruidoso Downs in July 2019, finished third in his Los Alamitos debut, a length behind Chocolatito.

Chocolatito is in the midst of his best season, having won four of six starts this year. A 4-year-old gelding by top Quarter Horse stallion Favorite Cartel, Chocolatito won the Kaweah Bar Handicap in May and the Vessels Maturity in July, the top race of the summer for older horses.

Trained by Scott Willoughby for owner and breeder Ed Allred, Chocolatito earned an automatic berth to the Champion of Champions with the win in the Vessels Maturity. A berth was available to the winner of the Los Alamitos Championship. Because Chocolatito had already qualified, the berth from Sunday’s race will be awarded to Powerful Favorite, the winner of the Go Man Go Handicap on Aug. 30.

Zoomin for Spuds and Chocolatito were third and fourth in the Go Man Go Handicap. Chocolatito did not have a sharp start in the Go Man Go Handicap and was beaten 1 3/4 lengths as the 2-1 favorite. Sunday, Chocolatito had a better start, which kept him in range of Zoomin for Spuds.

Chocolatito has won 9 of 18 starts and earned $241,953.

The Champion of Champions will have a field of 10. Other qualifiers to date are Bos Time Machine, Curls Happy Wagon, Dexxter, and Gold Heart Eagle V. The winners of the Bank of America Challenge Championship at The Downs at Albuquerque on Oct. 24 and the Los Alamitos Super Derby on Nov. 8 will receive berths. At least two berths will be available through time trials on Nov. 15, and possibly more if a horse with an automatic berth is not entered.

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