Powerful Favorite cruises to victory in Brad McKinzie Los Alamitos Winter Championship

Powerful Favorite won the sixth six-figure race of his career in Sunday’s $157,750 Brad McKinzie Los Alamitos Winter Championship, the first major Quarter Horse race of the year for older horses.

With the win, Powerful Favorite earned a berth in the Champion of Champions on Dec. 11 at Los Alamitos, a race that plays a key role in year-end championship voting.

:: Want to get your Past Performances for free? Click to learn more.

Powerful Favorite was third by a neck in the 2020 Champion of Champions.

Sunday, Powerful Favorite was hand-ridden to victory by jockey Eduardo Nicasio. Powerful Favorite pulled clear rapidly to lead by a length with 200 yards remaining and won by three-quarters of a length over 27-1 Pay Me In Front. Doctor Gene (8-1) finished third in the field of 10.

Powerful Favorite ($3) ran 400 yards in 19.49 seconds. A 5-year-old gelding, Powerful Favorite has won 14 of 24 starts and earned $960,877, all for Connie Rosenthal and trainer Chris O’Dell.

Powerful Favorite won a division of the Winter Championship trials on Jan. 24 in his first start of 2021.

O’Dell is planning to move a majority of his runners to New Mexico this year, and race primarily at Ruidoso Downs in the summer. Powerful Favorite will be sent to Ruidoso Downs and will race there before returning to California in the fall, O’Dell said.