Zoomin for Spuds, Chocolatito meet in Los Alamitos Championship

In their only meeting, the older Quarter Horses Zoomin for Spuds and Chocolatito were third and fourth in the $100,000 Go Man Go Handicap at Los Alamitos on Aug. 30, finishing a neck apart.

They face each other again as part of a field of nine in Sunday’s $125,000 Robert Boniface Los Alamitos Championship at 440 yards. This time, there is more at stake than prize money.

The winner receives a berth to the $600,000 Champion of Champions on Dec. 12, a race that plays a vital role in year-end championship voting. Zoomin for Spuds won the 2016 Champion of Champions, the year he was named champion 3-year-old gelding.

Chocolatito has a berth in the Champion of Champions for winning the Vessels Maturity on July 5, the top race of the summer for older Quarter Horses. In the Go Man Go, Chocolatito was the 2-1 favorite, but was never a factor, finishing 1 3/4 lengths behind Powerful Favorite. A win on Sunday would make Chocolatito the likely favorite in the Champion of Champions.

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A 4-year-old, Chocolatito has won 8 of 17 starts and earned $183,203 for owner and breeder Ed Allred and trainer Scott Willoughby.

The Los Alamitos Championship is the third start of 2020 for Zoomin for Spuds, a 7-year-old gelding who has won 15 of 44 starts and earned $827,421. Trained by Monty Arrossa, Zoomin for Spuds is owned by the family of the late Jim Walker.

Zoomin for Spuds was seventh in the 2019 Champion of Champions. The Go Man Go Handicap was his first start of 2020. Zoomin for Spuds won the Catchmeinyourdreams Handicap at 330 yards on Sept. 19, ending a six-race losing streak that began after he won the Brad McKinzie Los Alamitos Winter Championship in February 2019.

Similar to Chocolatito, Zoomin for Spuds could be favored in the Champion of Champions with a win on Sunday. The Los Alamitos Championship is the last race on Sunday’s eight-race program. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.

Zoomin for Spuds breaks from post 7, with Chocolatito on the outside.

Jesstacartel and Bail Czech start from posts 1 and 3 with good recent form.

Jesstacartel, second in the 2018 Champion of Champions and eighth in the race last December, was seventh in the Go Man Go Handicap in his first start this year and won a 330-yard allowance race on Sept. 20. Bail Czech won a weak running of the Spencer Childers Handicap on July 26 and was second by 1 1/4 lengths in the Go Man Go Handicap.