Copauinos Best surrounded by fillies in Saturday headliner

The fillies are ganging up on the gelding Copauinos Best in Saturday’s seventh race for 2-year-olds at Los Alamitos.

In an allowance race for nonwinners of two, Copauinos Best is the only male in a field of seven, and certainly rates a leading prospect in the 300-yard race. Trained by Jaime Gomez, Copauinos Best won a division of the Ed Burke Million Futurity trials at 350 yards on June 7, but did not run fast enough to qualify for the final.

Copauinos Best had his second start in the trials. He was third by a neck in a 300-yard maiden race on May 8.

In Saturday’s race, Copauinos Best drew post 2 and will be ridden for the first time by Jesus Ayala. Through Thursday, Ayala was second in the Quarter Horse jockey standings with 38 wins, one victory behind Oscar Peinado.

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Peinado rides Holiday Hocks for Gomez in Saturday’s allowance race. Holiday Hocks, the easy winner of a $20,000 claimer for maidens at 300 yards on March 29, was fourth in her debut, a maiden race for fillies at 300 yards on May 1 in which she broke to the outside and never recovered. Holiday Hocks was sharper in the maiden claimer, leading throughout to win by 1 3/4 lengths.

Aside from Copauinos Best, three fillies in Saturday’s field also started in the Ed Burke trials – A Solid Reason, Tellerineedtequila, and Valantini.

Of those, A Solid Reason had the best result, finishing fourth by a length in what was her second start. Trained by Chris O’Dell, A Solid Reason won her debut in a 300-yard maiden race on May 1.

The other runners in the field are the recent maiden race winners Inkosazana and Just Thinker.

Inkosazana, who drew the outside post, won her California debut in a 300-yard race on June 27, breaking sharply and winning by a length. She was a troubled eighth at 49-1 in her debut at Remington Park on May 28.

Just Thinker, trained by Scott Willoughby, is the most experienced runner in the field, with three starts. Just Thinker won a maiden race at 300 yards on June 19 by a nose in the decent time of 15.79 seconds.

Oscar Andrade Jr. has the mount, replacing Vinnie Bednar.

First post time is 9 p.m. Eastern, or 6 p.m. Pacific. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.