Runners such as Corona Jumpim MRL and Powerful Favorite kept California trainer Chris O’Dell at home last month when the 2019 Quarter Horse champions were announced in Oklahoma City. O’Dell wanted to follow the progress of those horses and others in the days before important races at Los Alamitos. O’Dell was in his living room, not far from Los Alamitos, when his name was announced as the 2019 champion trainer. Days later, Corona Jumpim MRL and Powerful Favorite ran first and second in separate time trials for the Brad McKinzie Los Alamitos Winter Championship. Both earned berths for Sunday’s $159,550 final at 400 yards and approach the race with outstanding chances. :: To stay up to date, follow us on: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter Corona Jumpim MRL, a 6-year-old horse, was the 2018 South American Quarter Horse champion as determined by a panel of racing experts from the American Quarter Horse Association. Owned by Haras Portofino, Corona Jumpim MRL won a division of the Winter Championship trials by a nose in 19.78 seconds, setting the second-fastest qualifying time. The result was a turnaround from much of 2019 when Corona Jumpim MRL struggled to break well from the gate. O’Dell decided to use a flipping halter in the gate for Corona Jumpim MRL to give the horse a better chance at a good start. The flipping halter is a short rope attached from the front of the starting gate to a ring on the horse’s halter. The “rig,”as a flipping halter is often known, keeps a horse’s head focused toward the front of the stall while other runners are being loaded. When the gate opens, the flipping halter releases and theoretically allows for a more timely start. “He was bad in the gate,” O’Dell said. “I put him in a flipping halter and he’s paying attention to what he’s doing. I find a few of them, if they get a little unruly, I can go to the flipping halter. It seemed to help him a lot.” O’Dell uses a flipping halter with Powerful Favorite, who had an outstanding 3-year-old season in 2019, winning three six-figure derbies and finishing second by a neck to Flash and Roll in the $1,009,700 Los Alamitos Super Derby in November in his final start of the year. Powerful Favorite was second by a half-length to Bail Czech in a division of the Winter Championship trials. Bail Czech, a 4-year-old gelding trained by Jorge Farias, was timed in 19.76 and set the fastest qualifying time. Bail Czech was second in the $211,000 Golden State Derby last August and eighth in the Super Derby. The field includes Jess My Kiss, who won the 2018 Los Alamitos Winter Derby, and Jess Macho Corona, who was second in the $1.5 million All American Derby at Rudoso Downs last September. The winner receives an automatic berth to the $600,000 Champion of Champions on Dec. 12.