Empressum, Apollitical Pence renew rivalry in Los Alamitos Championship
Empressum may be the reigning World Champion Quarter Horse, but one leading opponent has been a pesky rival the last 12 months.
Apollitical Pence has beaten Empressum in two of their last three meetings. Round four is Saturday’s $125,000 Robert Boniface Los Alamitos Championship at 440 yards.
Apollitical Pence and Empressum finished first and second, respectively, in the 2022 Los Alamitos Championship last October and in the Brad McKinzie Winter Championship in February. Empressum won the race that counted the most, however, the $750,000 Champion of Champions at Los Alamitos last December, a victory that clinched his World Champion title.
Saturday’s Los Alamitos Championship is expected to be their final starts before the Champion of Champions at 440 yards on Dec. 9.
The Los Alamitos Championship drew a field of six, with a notable addition in Bomb Cyclone, who was third by three-quarters of a length in the $250,000 All American Gold Cup at 440 yards at Ruidoso Downs on Sept. 4.
Bomb Cyclone has won 4 of 5 career starts at Los Alamitos, including the Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity in 2021, and the Los Alamitos Super Derby last November. Bomb Cyclone, trained by Chris O’Dell for Connie Rosenthal, was fourth by 2 1/4 lengths behind Empressum in the Champion of Champions last year.
Bomb Cyclone has the most to gain from a victory in the Los Alamitos Championship since the winner receives a berth to the Champion of Champions. Apollitical Pence secured a berth with a win in the Winter Championship, while Empressum qualified by winning the Vessels Maturity in July.
Since the Winter Championship, Apollitical Pence and Empressum have had different campaigns.
Apollitical Pence, owned by Matt Dunn and trained by Monty Arrossa, was rested through the late winter and spring. He won his comeback in a 250-yard overnight stakes at Ruidoso Downs on Sept. 2, the same race he won in 2022 before his victory in the Los Alamitos Championship.
Empressum had a shorter break for owners and breeders Steve Holt and Jeff Jacobs and trainer Heath Taylor. The Vessels Maturity was Empressum’s first start in a stakes over the summer, and was followed by a nose win over the Arrossa-trained Scoops Dynasty in the California Challenge Championship on Aug. 5 and a second by a half-length to that rival in the Go Man Go Handicap.
Scoops Dynasty is not entered in the Los Alamitos Championship, which does include the outsiders Hooked N Gone, London Toby, and Stuck in Probate.
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