Last to Fire sent to Paul Jones

Last to Fire, the 2013 World Champion Running Quarter Horse, was transferred from trainer Sergio Fiscal to Paul Jones on Thursday, Jones said on Saturday.

The move was made four days after Last to Fire finished eighth in the Grade 1 Vessels Maturity at Los Alamitos last Sunday, a race the 5-year-old gelding won in 2013.

Owned by Jesus Avila and Jesus Cuevas, Last to Fire is winless in two starts this year, having finished second in a division of the Vessels Maturity time trials on June 15. In the final over 400 yards, Last to Fire finished two lengths behind race winner Far Niente.

“He ran a little flat in his last race and the owners wanted to try something different,” Jones said.

Last to Fire has won 8 of 21 starts and $1,094,244. He was named 2013 World Champion after winning the Vessels Maturity, Go Man Go Handicap, and Champion of Champions, three of the nation’s top races for older Quarter Horses. All three races are run at Los Alamitos.

Last year, Last to Fire was trained by Jose De La Torre, who was told by Los Alamitos management in late December that he was no longer welcome to train there after a series of clenbuterol positives last fall.

Jones said on Saturday that Last to Fire will be pointed to two late season stakes at Los Alamitos - the $100,000 Go Man Go Handicap on Sept. 20 and the $150,000 Los Alamitos Championship on Oct. 18.

The Los Alamitos Championship winner receives an automatic berth for the $750,000 Champion of Champions on Dec. 13. The Go Man Go Handicap winner receives an automatic berth for the Champion of Champions, if another horse declines a berth, or wins more than one race that features a berth.

“We’re looking for a way to get him back in the Champion of Champions,” Jones said.