One of the most prestigious Quarter Horse racing nights of the year is on tap as California Breeders Champions Night will bring a full evening of stakes races on Saturday, July 28. The racing action will be headed by the running of the Governor’s Cup Futurity featuring fastest qualifier La Gata Negra and the sharp looking winners Don Loncho and Henoshersecret, plus the Governor’s Cup Derby led by El Primero Del Ano Derby winner New Look and talented runners Terrific Synergy and Kindly Fellow. The Spencer L. Childers California Breeders Championship Handicap is the main event for older horses and will feature a purse of $100,000 and is expected to the nation’s number two ranked Quarter Horse in three Grade 1 winner El Aguila Real.

The 13th running of California Breeders Champions Night will once again serve as a showcase event for the finest California-bred runners in training. Featuring combined purses of around $1 million, the event is the product of joint cooperation between the Pacific Coast Quarter Horse Racing Association and track management at Los Alamitos Race Course. There were 133 nominees to the various races that make up California Breeders Champions Night. In some cases, a horse was nominated to more than one race.

Free Los Alamitos Cap on Saturday, July 28

Champions Night will also feature a Los Alamitos Cap giveaway. Six stylish colors will be available for on-track fans with a paid nighttime admission. Giveaway will be held while supplies last.

Strong list on names in big races

-El Aguila Real-

While the fields to the Governor’s Cup Futurity and Governor’s Cup Derby were set during trial races on the weekend of July 13 and 14, horses were nominated to nine of the 12 races that are part of Champions Night. Eighteen horses have been nominated to the Spencer Childers Championship Handicap at 400 yards, including Grade 1 Southern California Derby, Grade 1 Los Alamitos Winter Championship and Grade 1 Vessels Maturity winner El Aguila Real, Governor’s Cup Futurity and Derby winner Hot Hitter and the veteran 2007 AQHA Champion 3-Year-Old Gelding Little Bit Of Baja. Katella Handicap winner Forrest Fire and Ivan Ashment Handicap winner Classic Sassy Check plus stakes winners Buying Snow, Creston Goer, Flaming Out, Fire Is On have also been nominated. The others nominated are BF Farm Boy, a multiple Grade 1 finalist, Cash Him Out, De Moss, Frosty Younger, Precisionist RM, Sheza Shy Shahayla, Shining First Dash, Twelve Stepper and Walkin Bac.

-Forrest Fire-

Sixteen of the 18 nominated to the Spencer Childers have also been nominated to the $25,000 Sprint Stakes at 350 yards. Little Bif Of Baja, Fire Is On and Forrest Fire are among those nominated to both races, while stakes winning mare Azshecanfly has also been nominated to this race. Talented older mares and stakes winners Oh La Traffic and Getit Together will join Azshecanfly, Classic Sassy Check and Nimble are among the 14 runners nominated to the $50,000 Matron Stakes for 3 year olds and upward fillies and mares. Several horses that competed in the aforementioned Governor’s Cup Derby trials will surely return to action in the Jens L. List Memorial Stakes for 3-year-olds, while many of the 2-year-olds that competed in the Governor’s Cup Futurity will race in the two $25,000 Freshman Stakes divisions. The racing program will also feature the Debutante Stakes for 3-year-old fillies and the California Breeders 550 Sophomore Stakes. The program will also feature four claiming stakes races.