Los Alamitos: Hez Our Secret gains berth in Champion of Champions

Hez Our Secret, fourth in the 2012 Champion of Champions, will start in the $750,000 Champion of Champions at Los Alamitos on Dec. 14 following the defection of New Mexico stakes winner DM Streakn Thru Fire.

DM Streakn Thru Fire won the Zia Park Championship on Nov. 27, the last automatic berth available for the Champion of Champions. The Zia Park Championship was postponed for four days because of poor weather on Nov. 23. Because of the shortened time between the Zia Park Championship and Champion of Champions, trainer Mike Joiner informed Los Alamitos officials earlier this week that DM Streakn Thru Fire would not be sent to California.

“That’s not enough time to travel to Los Alamitos and have the horse close to 100 percent ready for the race,” Joiner said in a statement released by Los Alamitos. “We were going to be up against it.”

Hez Our Secret was second to Significant Heart in a time trial for the Champion of Champions on Nov. 23, and was the first alternate in the event of a defection among the horses with automatic berths.

Owned by Johnny Trotter, Hez Our Secret has won 6 of 18 starts and earned $858,426. Hez Our Secret, a 4-year-old colt by First Down Dash, is best known for the races he has lost, having finished second in the 2012 All American Derby and Los Alamitos Super Derby, and second in the Los Alamitos Championship on Oct. 13. Ochoa, a leading contender for the Champion of Champions, beat Hez Our Secret in the Los Alamitos Championship and the 2012 All American Derby.

Aside from Ochoa, the leading contenders for the Champion of Champions are Last to Fire, who won the Vessels Maturity in July and the Go Man Go Handicap in September at Los Alamitos; Feature Hero, who won the All American Derby at Ruidoso Downs in September; defending winner Rylees Boy; and Priceless Feature, who beat Ochoa in the Remington Park Championship in June.

Trotter could have an historic weekend at Los Alamitos on Dec. 14-15. On Dec. 15, he has two leading contenders for the Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity in Ms First Prize Rose and Viva Mi Corazon. Trotter co-owns the futurity runners with Burnett Ranches.

Hez Our Secret, Ms First Prize Rose, and Viva Mi Corazon are trained by Trey Wood.