Heza Dasha Fire captures Los Alamitos Championship

CYPRESS, Calif. - Heza Dasha Fire won the $125,000 Los Alamitos Championship for the second consecutive year Sunday, solidifying his position as California’s leading older Quarter Horse.

The win gave Heza Dasha Fire another berth to the $750,000 Champion of Champions, a race he won in 2015. Heza Dasha Fire was second in the 2016 Champion of Champions. Heza Dasha Fire secured a berth to the Champion of Champions with a win in the Go Man Go Handicap on Sept. 3.

Heza Dasha Fire won the Los Alamitos Championship on Sunday by three-quarters of a length over Bodacious Eagle, a three-time stakes winner at Remington Park and Ruidoso Downs earlier this year.

Ridden by Cruz Mendez, Heza Dasha Fire ($2.80) was always within a half-length of the lead through the 440-yard race and took the lead with more than 200 yards remaining. Heza Dasha Fire was timed 21.45 seconds.

Big Lew, the winner of the Los Alamitos Super Derby last November, finished third in a field of nine.

Heza Dasha Fire earned $58,750 for owners Don, Kathy, and Shawn Meneely of Kennewick, Wash., and trainer Jose Flores. A 5-year-old, Heza Dasha Fire has earned $2,047,807 with 15 wins from 20 starts.

The Champion of Champions is the leading race for older Quarter Horses in the nation. The field consists of winners of major stakes through the year plus qualifiers from time trials at Los Alamitos on Nov. 19.

This year’s field is expected to include Heza Dasha Fire and Bh Lisas Boy, The Fiscal Cliff, and Time for Jess, who have won major stakes in recent months. Los Alamitos track owner Ed Allred said Sunday that an invitation will not be extended to Jessies First Down, the winner of The Downs at Albuquerque Championship in September.

Jessies First Down, the 2016 Quarter Horse World Champion, was trained earlier this year by Judd Kearl, who has since been summarily suspended by the Texas Racing Commission for medication positives in that state in the spring.

Jessies First Down is now trained by Jimmy Padgett, Kearl’s former assistant. Allred said no invitation will be extended to Jessies First Down or Hold Air Hostage, the winner of the All American Derby at Ruidoso Downs in September, because both horses “were under control of Judd Kearl” earlier this year.

“They won’t be invited,” he said.

Hold Air Hostage was taken out of training last month because of injury.

The winner of the Los Alamitos Super Derby on Nov. 12 will receive an invitation. The results of the time trials on Nov. 19 will determine the rest of the 10-horse field.