London Toby overcomes rough start to win Brad McKinzie Los Alamitos Winter Championship

CYPRESS, Calif. - London Toby, sidelined for more than a year because of illness in 2021 and 2022, recorded the best performance of his career on Sunday with a mild upset in the $135,400 Brad McKinzie Los Alamitos Winter Championship.

London Toby ($13) overcame a troubled start under jockey Gabriel Lara to catch early leader Marcelo, a 44-1 chance ridden by Lara’s cousin, Irving.

London Toby won by a neck, running 400 yards in 19.77 seconds. Scoops Dynasty (2-1) finished third after a poor start, losing by a half-length. Jeriko, the 11-10 favorite, collided with the side of the gate and failed to recover, finishing in a dead heat for sixth.

London Toby earned a berth to the $700,000 Champion of Champions at Los Alamitos in December by winning the Winter Championship. A 6-year-old by Favorite Cartel, London Toby races for owner and breeder Ed Allred, who owns Los Alamitos, and trainer Scott Willoughby.

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A gelding, London Toby has won 6 of 16 starts and earned $195,056. London Toby won two of his first four starts before he was sidelined with a lengthy illness. A minor stakes winner at the end of 2022, London Toby had one win in eight starts in 2023, taking the Spencer Childers Handicap in July.

London Toby’s win on Sunday ended a three-race losing streak since the Childers.

London Toby gave Allred and Willoughby their first wins in the Winter Championship. The race is named in honor of the track’s longtime executive, who died in 2017.

On Saturday, Bp Cartel Policy ran to expectations while winning the $174,200 Los Alamitos Winter Derby at 400 yards.

Sent off favored on the strength of a trial race win on Jan. 27, Bp Cartel Policy led throughout to win the final by three-quarters of a length over stablemate Ready for It, the 2-1 second choice.

The first two finishers are trained by Monty Arrossa.

Just Watch Her (12-1) finished third, beaten two lengths.

Ridden by Armando Cervantes, Bp Cartel Policy ($5.40) was timed in 19.68 seconds and earned $73,164 for owner and breeder Bill Price. Bp Cartel Policy has won 3 of 9 starts and earned $169,016.

Bp Cartel Policy was gelded in December and is unbeaten in two subsequent starts.

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