Heza Dasha Fire, Moonist meet again in Los Alamitos Winter Championship

The rivalry between the Quarter Horses Heza Dasha Fire and Moonist is living up to expectations this winter.

They have met twice at Los Alamitos in recent months, with each winning once.

Heza Dasha Fire ran a career-best race to win the $600,000 Champion of Champions by 1 1/4 lengths over Moonist on Dec. 12. The victory clinched the title of 2015 World Champion Running Quarter Horse for Heza Dasha Fire.

On Jan. 24, Moonist beat Heza Dasha Fire by a half-length in a division of the Los Alamitos Winter Championship trials. The $139,700 final will be run at 400 yards on Sunday and will be their third matchup.

The winner of the Winter Championship receives a berth in the 2016 Champion of Champions in December. The Winter Championship is the first race of the year to award an automatic berth for the Champion of Champions.

Heza Dasha Fire, who also was named champion 3-year-old of 2015, broke from the rail in the Winter Championship trial. Even though he won from the rail at 2 in the Ed Burke Million Futurity, trainer Jose Antonio Flores has repeatedly said the 4-year-old gelding prefers an outside draw.

On Sunday, Heza Dasha Fire drew post 6, one position to the outside of Moonist. Heza Dasha Fire has won 11 of 13 starts and earned $1,690,738. He races for Don, Kathy, and Shawn Meneely of Kennewick, Wash.

Moonist, the champion aged horse of 2015, has won 21 of 31 starts and earned $805,494. Trained by John Cooper for Ron Hartley, Moonist has won 11 stakes at Los Alamitos, leaving him tied for seventh in track history. Charger Bar and Kaweah Bar head the list with 18 wins each.

On Sunday, Heza Dasha Fire and Moonist are part of a field of 10 that includes French Fury, who was fourth in the Champion of Champions; Walk the Catwalk and Fiery Kimbo, who were third and fourth in the Southern California Derby on Dec. 20; and Jake Gold Br, who was third in the 2015 Winter Championship.