Divide the Cash sets fastest Champions time

Divide the Cash and Good Reason SA finished one-two in the second and faster division of the Champion of Champions trials at Los Alamitos on Sunday, earning berths to the $750,000 final on Dec. 11.

In Sunday’s second and final division of the trials, formally known as the Z. Wayne Griffin Director’s trials, Divide the Cash ($15) ran 400 yards in 19.39 seconds, finishing a head in front of Good Reason SA, who was timed in19.41 seconds.

They join a Champion of Champions field that includes the winners of eight major stakes nationwide earlier this year – A Tempting Dash, Apollitical Jess, Blues Man Too, Feature Jess Rockin, Freaky, Jess You and I, Merridoc Hawk, and Spit Curl Diva. Freaky won the 2009 Champion of Champions and will be strongly favored to retain his title in the 440-yard race.

If one of those eight runners is unable to start, the berth will revert to Fire Is On, who won the first division of Sunday’s trials in 19.45 seconds. The second alternate is Precisionist RM, who was third to Divide the Cash in 19.48 seconds on Sunday.

Divide the Cash holds the 350-yard track record of 17.06 seconds set in June. Owned by Abigail Kawananakoa, Divide the Cash is trained by Rafael Orozco, who assisted the Hall of Fame trainer Blane Schvaneveldt, who died in July.

Good Reason SA, owned by Gianna Samaja and trained by Paul Jones, won the Golden State Derby in August, his only other stakes appearance this year.

More Than You Know qualifies again

More Than You Know set the fastest qualifying time for the Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity, to be run on Dec. 10, in time trials on Saturday, the second time this year the colt has qualified for a major futurity.

In June, More Than You Know had the second-fastest qualifying time for the Ed Burke Million Futurity, and finished fourth in the final.

Saturday, More Than You Know ran 400 yards in 19.29 seconds, winning the 10th of 12 divisions of the trials by a nose over Adashin First Dash, the second-fastest qualifier to the Los Alamitos Two Million.

Mr Piloto, the winner of the All American Futurity at Ruidoso Downs in September, did not start as scheduled in the 11th division because of a bout of colic.

More Than You Know races for owner-trainer Miguel Rodriguez. The colt was rested after the Ed Burke Million because of soreness, Rodriguez said.

The other qualifiers for the Los Alamitos Two Million are Hot Hitter, BF Farm Boy, Number One Cartel, One Sweet Jess, Flying Fig, Oatman, One Quick First Down, and Thru the Fire. One Quick First Down earned a berth through a random shake after he and All N The Jeans had the same time of 19.577 seconds in the trials.

One Sweet Jess won the Golden State Million on Oct. 29 and won the ninth division of the trials in 19.453 seconds, finishing a half-length in front of 42-1 Oatman. Flying Fig and Hot Hitter were second and third in the Golden State Million.