World Champion Empressum fastest qualifier for Brad McKinzie Los Alamitos Winter Championship

Overcoming a slow start, Empressum, the 2022 Quarter Horse world champion, rallied to win his 2023 debut in a time trial for the Brad McKinzie Los Alamitos Winter Championship on Sunday.

Ridden by Rodrigo Vallejo, Empressum ($2.40) needed all 400 yards to catch 5-1 Scoops Dynasty and win by a nose. Empressum was timed in 19.47 seconds, setting the fastest time from two trials.

Empressum will be favored in the $144,950 final on Feb. 19 although there will be support for Apollitical Pence ($2.20), who won the second trial by a half-length over 10-1 Dasha Dynasty in 19.61 seconds.

The two trials had 13 horses vying for 10 berths in the final.

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Empressum and Apollitical Pence were first and third in the $750,000 Champion of Champions at Los Alamitos on Dec. 10. Apollitical Pence, owned by Matt and Bendi Dunn and trained by Monty Arrossa, won the Winter Championship in 2022.

Empressum, owned by Steve Holt and Jeff Jacobs and trained by Heath Taylor, was named world champion on the strength of a win in the Champion of Champions as well as two other major stakes at Los Alamitos last summer – the Vessels Maturity and Go Man Go Handicap.

Apollitical Pence and Empressum were first and second in the Robert Boniface Los Alamitos Championship in October in their first meeting of 2022.

The Dunns and Arrossa have the two fastest qualifiers for the $183,350 Los Alamitos Winter Derby on Feb. 18 after Ghost Witha Fire and Take a Swig of This won time trials on Saturday.

Ghost Witha Fire won the first of three 400-yard trials in 19.58 seconds, while Take a Swig of This won the second trial in 19.73 seconds. Interesting Eagle won the final trial in 20.05 seconds, good enough for the ninth time among the 10 finalists.

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