Los Alamitos: Winter Championship next target for Check My Thoughts

Check My Thoughts became the only two-time winner of a 2012 derby at Los Alamitos with his victory in the Grade 1 Southern California Derby last Sunday.

If he can duplicate the same feat in the tougher older horse division in 2013, Check My Thoughts will be rated among the top Quarter Horses on the circuit. It is a job worth trying, according to trainer James Glenn Jr.

“The horse is so good right now,” Glenn said on Sunday. “You can see it physically in how great he is doing. He has probably added 70 pounds in the last 90 days and he has the maturity of an older horse.”

Owned by track chairman Ed Allred, Check My Thoughts has won 6 of 14 starts and $358,206. The 2012 season was by far the best of his career.

Earlier this year, he won the Grade 1 Golden State Derby in August, and was third in the Los Alamitos Super Derby in November. Back in February, Check My Thoughts was third in the Los Alamitos Winter Derby.

In the Southern California Derby, Check My Thoughts ($2.80) overcame a bump at the start to win by a half-length over Shez Jess Toxic. Check My Thoughts ran 400 yards in 19.58 seconds under jockey Eulices Gomez.

Allred and Glenn have the gelding scheduled for a start in the Los Alamitos Winter Championship trials on Jan. 27. The $200,000-projected final for that 400-yard race is Feb. 17.

”The waters will get deeper next in the trials to the Los Alamitos Winter Championship, but I’m excited to see him perform against good older horses,” Glenn said.

Rylees Boy, the upset winner of the $750,000 Champion of Champions on Dec. 15, is a candidate for the Winter Championship trials.

◗ Sunday was the final day of the 2011-2012 season at Los Alamitos. The track runs on a year-round basis, leaving a negligible break.

Opening day of the 2012-2013 season is Friday. The first major race of the meeting is the $100,000 Charger Bar Handicap for older fillies and mares over 400 yards on Jan. 6.