LOS ALAMITOS, CA—SEPTEMBER 1, 2018—Ronnie Brooks Keller’s Twisted Sifter is now tied for the most wins by a Quarter Horse in 2018 after posting his sixth victory of the meet at Los Alamitos in the running of the $25,000 Sgt Pepper Feature Handicap on Saturday night.

Bred by Corner K Quarter Horses LLC, Twisted Sifter is only the second Quarter Horse to reach six wins this year, equaling multiple futurity winner Rob That Wagon in the national standings. Rob That Wagon has won six of eight starts as a freshman, while scoring in the Sandy Downs Juvenile Challenge, Bitterroot Futurity, and Oneida County Futurity. There are six other Quarter Horses tied with five wins a piece.

Ridden by Jonathan Roman for trainer Roman Figueroa, Twisted Sifter was making his ninth start of the year in the Sgt Pepper Feature. The race was also his most impressive effort of the year, as he took the lead shortly after the start and always looked in command while racing on the outside post seven. He crossed the finish line ahead of Chowchilla Chickadee by a head while covering the 350 yards in :17.526.

Twisted Sifter’s first of his six wins of 2018 came in a race for $16,000 maiden claimers on February 11. After breaking his maiden by a ½ length, the Arizona-bred gelding by FDD Dynasty followed it up with a win against $16,000 claimers and two against $20,000 claimers.

He then finished third in the Vandy’s Flash Handicap to A Political Lady, who is among the Quarter Horses tied with five wins on the year, before returning to score a daylight victory against allowance foes on August 10. For Figueroa, it was special to saddle a stakes winner for Ronnie Brooks Keller, the son of longtime horse owner Ronnie Keller, who passed away on January 13, 2017.

"Ronnie Keller had horses with Blane Schvaneveldt for a very long time," Figueroa said. "I’ve been lucky enough to continue to train for his son, Ronnie Brooks Keller."

Twisted Sifter is now among the most improved Quarter Horses on the grounds.

"From claimer all the way to (stakes) winner," Figueroa said. "I loved the outside post. He won his allowance race from the outside post as well.

"He got bumped around in the Vandy’s Flash," Figueroa added. "He’s not a real big horse.

"He is the most improve horse," Figueroa added. "From claimer all the way to (stakes) winner. He got bumped around in the Vandy’s Flash (on July 1). He’s not a real big horse. He got away clean tonight and I loved the outside post. He won his allowance race (on August 10) from the outside post as well. We don’t know what’s next for this horse. We were going to send him home before he began winning. We’ll keep rolling with him. We’ll keep him here."

Twisted Sifter earned $13,750 for the win to take his career earnings to $46,427. For his career, he’s won six of 16 starts.

Bill Absher and Leland Decker’s Chowchilla Chickadee earned $5,625 for running second. Carlos Huerta piloted her for trainer John Cooper.

Dutch Masters III and Jaime Gomez’s Famous N Hot ran third, while John Firth’s Hard Headed Chick finished fourth. McFarland USA, Quite Up, and Walk It Man completed the field.

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Courtesy of www.losalamitos.com.