Empressum on track for repeat World Championship

The $52,400 Bank of America California Regional Challenge at Los Alamitos on Saturday will be the least lucrative stakes in 2023 for Empressum, Quarter Horse racing’s 2022 World Champion.

The California Regional Challenge at 440 yards could be an important race for Empressum’s chances of securing a second World Championship this year.

The winner receives an automatic berth to the $250,000 Bank of America Challenge Championship at Lone Star Park Oct. 21.

From trainer Heath Taylor’s perspective, a win on Saturday, and a berth for the final at Lone Star, would give Empressum another stakes option leading toward the main goal of the autumn – the $750,000 Champion of Champions at Los Alamitos Dec. 9.

Empressum won the 2022 Champion of Champions to clinch the World Champion title.

“There is nothing set in stone, regardless of the outcome of race,” Taylor said of Empressum’s autumn schedule. “We could have a berth to an outstanding race.

“The horse is doing really well.”

Empressum drew post 2 in the California Regional Challenge and will be ridden by his regular rider, Rodrigo Vallejo.

Owned by Jeff Jacobs and Steve Holt, Empressum has won 20 of 27 starts and earned $1,717,567. Last month, Empressum won the Vessels Maturity for the second consecutive year. The Vessels Maturity is the leading race of the summer for older horses at Los Alamitos.

The California Regional Challenge drew a field of seven, including Scoops Dynasty and Shott Gun, who were second and third in the Vessels Maturity. Taylor trains Shott Gun and said on Friday that the four-time stakes winner is “50-50” to run on Saturday.

The California Regional Challenge is the final race on a 10-race program that has a carryover of $37,002 in the pick six. The pool of new money is expected to exceed $150,000. The pick six covers the fifth through 10th races.

Los Alamitos to upgrade stable area

Los Alamitos plans to invest more than $500,000 in capital improvements to its stable area in the next year, the track announced on Thursday.

The project, which could reach $1 million in expenditures, will include modernizing bathrooms and improved drainage to avoid standing water near stables.

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