Reason to Stay In has excellent chance to clear maiden ranks

After narrow losses in her last two starts, Reason to Stay In can finally win a maiden special weight for 2-year-old Quarter Horses at Los Alamitos on Saturday.

Reason to Stay In was beaten an unlucky nose in her third start in a 300-yard maiden race on Aug. 9, bobbing heads at the finish with eventual winner Max Prize. Reason to Stay In was the 7-5 favorite in that race on the basis of a third-place finish by a neck in a maiden race on July 3.

:: Click to learn about our DRF's Free Past Performance program.

Trained by Monty Arrossa, Reason to Stay In may be a shorter price on Saturday in a race with key timing. A win would could lead to starts in time trials for two lucrative futurities at Los Alamitos later this year – the Golden State Million and Los Alamitos Two Million.

Reason to Stay In, who races for owners and breeders Ed and Von Rae McNelis, will be ridden by Jose Nicasio and will break from the rail. The filly faces the first-time starter Bodhi, trained by Mike Robbins, and four horses comprehensively beaten in their last start – DF First Secret, In Deep Thought, Precious Corona, and Verifiable.

Bodhi, a gelding by Corona Cartel, was in training at Ruidoso Downs earlier this summer, and had three workouts at 220 yards at the New Mexico track. Robbins has an excellent record with first-time starters, which alone leaves Bodhi in high regard.

Verifiable drew the outside post, which should help his chances. Trained by Scott Willoughby, Verifiable was fourth by two lengths in his debut on Aug. 8, losing all chance when he was bumped by a rival at the start.

An outside draw could give Verifiable a better start. He will be ridden by Oscar Andrade Jr. for the first time. Andrade was third in the Quarter Horse standings at the beginning of the week, with 41 wins.