Several Champion of Champions contenders will skip a prep race

Several contenders for the $600,000 Champion of Champions at Los Alamitos on Dec. 12 will run in the prestigious race without the benefit of a recent start. For the trainers behind those runners, that is an ideal approach toward the richest race for older Quarter Horses.

Dexxter, the winner of the All American Gold Cup at Ruidoso Downs on Sept. 6, is being rested at an Oklahoma farm and will not race again until the 440-yard Champion of Champions, trainer Monty Arrossa said on Wednesday. Dexxter earned an automatic berth with a win in the Remington Park Championship in late May and is likely to have only two starts in the second half of the year.

“We’ll probably point directly to the Champion of Champions,” Arrossa said. “He likes to run fresh.”

Curls Happy Wagon earned an automatic berth with a win in Sunday’s $125,000 Mildred Vessels Handicap for fillies and mares at Los Alamitos. A 4-year-old filly, she is not likely to run again until Dec.12, trainer Juan Aleman said in the winner’s circle.

“She’s got a berth and you don’t want to miss a berth,” Aleman said.

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Eight races award the winner an automatic berth in the Champion of Champions. Five of those races have been run. Other qualifiers are Bos Time Machine, winner of the Brad McKinzie Los Alamitos Winter Championship in February; Chocolatito, who won the Vessels Maturity at Los Alamitos in July; and Gold Heart Eagle V, who won the All American Derby at Ruidoso Downs on Sept. 6.

The winners of the Los Alamitos Championship on Oct. 11, Bank of America Challenge Championship at The Downs at Albuquerque on Oct. 24, and Los Alamitos Super Derby on Nov. 8 will gain berths. At least two berths will be determined through 400-yard time trials on Nov. 15.

If a horse with an automatic berth declines the invitation, or a horse wins two qualifying races, Powerful Favorite will gain a spot, having won the Go Man Go Handicap at Los Alamitos on Aug. 30. The winner of the Go Man Go is given a provisional berth. Powerful Favorite will not race again until the Champion of Champions, trainer Chris O’Dell said earlier this month.

Arrossa could have as many as three runners in the Champion of Champions. He trains Gold Heart Eagle V, who is also being considered for the Texas Classic Derby at Lone Star Park in November, and Zoomin for Spuds, who won the 2016 Champion of Champions.

Gold Heart Eagle V will not run in both the Texas Classic Derby and Champion of Champions, Arrossa said.

Zoomin for Spuds won the Catchmeinyourdreams Handicap last Saturday in his 2020 debut. Arrossa said the Los Alamitos Championship and the Champion of Champions trials are under consideration for Zoomin for Spuds and that he is leaning toward the time trials.