Heza Dasha Fire dominates Go Man Go Handicap

CYPRESS, Calif. - Heza Dasha Fire, the 2015 Quarter Horse World Champion, won his first stakes of 2017 in Sunday’s $100,000 Go Man Go Handicap at Los Alamitos, moving closer to an expected start in the $750,000 Champion of Champions on Dec. 16.

Heza Dasha Fire is at least the first alternate for the Champion of Champions through his win in the Go Man Go Handicap.

He will receive an automatic berth in the Champion of Champions unless there is a dead heat in any of the remaining races that carry automatic berths – the Mildred Vessels Handicap on Sept. 24, the Albuquerque Fall Championship at The Downs at Albuquerque on Sept. 24, the Bank of America Challenge Championship at Prairie Meadows on Oct. 14, the Los Alamitos Championship on Oct. 15, or the Los Alamitos Super Derby on Nov. 12.

A dead heat in one of those races would result in two invitations for the Champion of Champions. Heza Dasha Fire is expected to start in the Los Alamitos Championship, trainer Jose Antonio Flores said Sunday evening.

Heza Dasha Fire dominated the Go Man Go Handicap at 400 yards.

Ridden by Cruz Mendez, Heza Dasha Fire ($3.60) flew out of the gate to lead by 1 1/2 lengths after 100 yards. He led by 2 1/4 lengths midway through the race and won by 1 3/4 lengths without urging late.

Heza Dasha Fire was timed in 21.45 seconds.

Flash N Bling, the winner of the California Challenge Championship on Aug. 13, finished second at 12-1, a head in front of 9-2 He Looks Hot, who won the Spencer Childers Championship at Los Alamitos on July 29.

Heza Dasha Fire is owned by Don, Kathy and Shawn Meneely of Kennewick, Wash. The Meneely’s bred Heza Dasha Fire, a 5-year-old gelding who has won 14 of 19 starts and earned $1,989,237.

The Go Man Go Handicap was Heza Dasha Fire’s second start of the year. He was second to He Looks Hot in the Childers Championship.