Distance key in Bank of America California Challenge

In 2015, Dutcher and Fire Fortune finished in the top three in major Quarter Horse derbies at 440 yards. The experience at that distance can prove valuable in Sunday’s $74,070 Bank of America California Challenge at Los Alamitos.

Dutcher, trained by Juan Aleman, and Fire Fortune, trained by Jaime Gomez, are part of a field of 11 in the California Challenge at 440 yards. The winner receives an automatic berth to the series final – the $350,000 Bank of America Championship at Los Alamitos on Oct. 29.

Dutcher will be favored in the California Challenge. Owned by Jumonville Farms and Brian Ranch, Dutcher was second by a neck in the Grade 1 Vessels Maturity at 400 yards at Los Alamitos on July 3 in his second start of the year. Last November, Dutcher was second in the Texas Classic Derby at 440 yards at Lone Star Park.

Fire Fortune was third in the 2015 All American Derby at 440 yards at Ruidoso Downs when trained by Paul Jones. In his lone start this year, Fire Fortune was third in the Spencer Childers Championship for California-breds at 400 yards on July 30, losing by a half-length after a poor start.

Jones has two runners in Sunday’s field – Jake Gold Br, who won the 2015 California Challenge, and Bf Farm Boss, who won the 2015 Ruidoso Derby at 400 yards. Both runners have struggled in recent starts.

Jake Gold Br has run in the Bank of America Challenge Championship in the last two years, finishing 10th at Prairie Meadows in 2014, and third at Lone Star Park last year. Jake Gold Br was sixth in an allowance race after a poor start at Los Alamitos on July 23.

Bf Farm Boss was sixth of seven in the Independence Day Handicap at 300 yards at Los Alamitos on July 2, his fourth consecutive loss. A 4-year-old, Bf Farm Boss has been first and last in two starts at 440 yards in his career – winning a division of the All American Futurity trials at the distance in 2014, but finishing a troubled 10th in a division of the All American Derby trials last August.