Gomez has four for Kindergarten trials

Trainer Jaime Gomez, winner of three of the last six Kindergartens, has four maiden winners ready for the trials to Grade 1, $330,000 Kindergarten on Saturday night at Los Alamitos.

Corona Couture won her maiden by 1 3/4 lengths in 15.46 seconds for 300 yards, the distance of the Kindergarten trials. Jess Sass Me, out of champion and 2001 Kindergarten winner Sassy Smith, was a first-time winner in 15.49 seconds. Rounding out Gomez's foursome are Prtizis Honor, a winner in 15.76 seconds, and Check This Beduino, a winner in 15.70 seconds.

Also in the trials is Coyote Code, who won the first 2-year-old race of the year at Los Alamitos on April 8 when he romped home by 2 1/4 lengths in 15.64 seconds.

Poly Gyve One Corona was a 2 1/2-length maiden winner in 15.60 seconds.

Southwest juvenile event at Zia

The new Southwest Juvenile Championship for 2-year-olds has a format similar to the Champion of Champions at Los Alamitos, The Southwest Juvenile Championship will be held at Zia Park, and is tentatively set for Dec. 10.

The 440-yard race is projected to have a $200,000 purse, but that could be raised to as much as $300,000. Horses may qualify by winning one of nine Grade 1 futurities held outside of California. They are the West Texas Futurity, Remington Park Futurity, Heritage Place Futurity, Ruidoso Futurity, Retama Park Futurity, Rainbow Futurity, All American Futurity, Sam Houston Futurity, and Dash for Cash Futurity. West Texas Futurity winner Jess Destined and Remington Park Futurity winner First Prize Robin are the first two qualifiers.

Any unfilled berths will be filled from a trial race or races. Horses that finish second or third in the qualifying futurities are eligible for the trials.

The Southwest Juvenile Championship is part of a Zia Park Quarter Horse stakes schedule worth $1.3 million.

Leading Spirit works

Champion 2-year-old gelding Leading Spirit, the premier juvenile for the first half of the 2005 season, worked 220 yards in 11.60 seconds on Tuesday morning at Ruidoso Downs in preparation for his return to racing after having chips removed from both knees and ankles in September. He could race in the trials to the Grade 1 Ruidoso Derby on May 27.

"That was a fast time and he came back super," said trainer Blane Wood. "I'll probably work him from the gate next week."

Leading Spirit won his first seven starts, including Grade 1 wins in the West Texas Futurity, Ruidoso Futurity, and Rainbow Futurity. His winning streak ended with a fifth-place finish in his All American Futurity trial on Aug. 18, his most recent start.

Leading Spirit would need to be supplemented at a cost of $25,000 for the Ruidoso Derby trials. He is eligible to the Rainbow and All American derbies at Ruidoso Downs.