Will Lindas Dasher be fastest again?
Ed Burke Memorial Futurity fastest qualifier Lindas Dasher will try to do it again when she starts in trials to the Grade 1, $300,000 Pacific Coast Quarter Horse Association Breeders Futurity at 350 yards on Friday night at Los Alamitos.
In the Grade 1 Ed Burke Futurity trials, Lindas Dasher showed she thrives at the PCQHRA trial distance of 350 yards by winning in 17.35 seconds. She followed that effort with a dead heat for second place in the Ed Burke finals with Flyn GT, who should win his maiden in the fourth PCQHRA Futurity trial.
Facing Lindas Dasher in the sixth trial - strongest of the qualifying races - will be Grade 1 Kindergarten fastest qualifier Mr Corona Perfect and two-time Grade 1 futurity finalist Looking for Chicks.
The horses with the 10 fastest times return for the finals on Oct. 2.
Strong cast in derby trials
Champion Hawkish and track- record-holder Well I Never head the 400-yard trials to the $125,000 PCQHRA Breeders Derby on Saturday night at Los Alamitos.
Hawkish, the 2003 champion 2-year-old colt, returns after a fourth-place finish in the Grade 1 Golden State Derby in his continuing attempt for his first win since last year's PCQHRA Futurity.
Hawkish won three Grade 1 futurities during his championship season but has yet to win in his two starts this year. He returned from a seven-month layoff to finish sixth in his Golden State Derby trial.
Well I Never is in sharp form after setting a 300-yard track record with his 15.13-second win in an allowance race on Aug. 29. He won by 1 1/4 lengths under a strong hold by jockey Cody Jensen.
The 10 fastest qualifiers meet in the Oct. 1 finals.
A New Hero in California Challenge
A New Hero will try to live up to his name when he goes for his first stakes win in the Grade 3, $39,690 Bayer Legend California Challenge for 3-year-olds at Los Alamitos on Saturday night.
A New Hero returned to Los Alamitos for the California Challenge trials after a four-start summer campaign at Ruidoso Downs, highlighted by a fifth-place finish as the 6-5 favorite in the Grade 2 Ruidoso Derby.
His California Challenge trial win in 19.723 seconds for the 400 yards was the fastest time from the two trials on Sept. 4.
Willie Works could be rounding into top form. He won three consecutive stakes at Los Alamitos last fall and winter, including the Grade 1 Juvenile Challenge Championship. He made his first start in six months in the California Challenge trials and finished second behind Seal Beach Handicap winner Contend.