LOS ALAMITOS, CA—AUGUST 8, 2018—The millionaire Hold Air Hostage will make his Los Alamitos debut this Saturday when he joins an outstanding cast of older horses led by three-time Grade 1 winner BH Lisas Boy and defending stakes winner Flash N Bling in the $45,180 Bank of America California Regional Championship at 440 yards.

Nine races are on tap starting at 7:05 p.m. The Bank of America California is the ninth and final race on the card.

Owned by Darling Farms and trained by Jaime Gomez, Hold Air Hostage worked 350 yards from the gate in a time of :17.80 on July 24. He will be ridden by Jose Nicasio in search of his 10th win in 14 career starts.

A winner of $1,325,617, the 2017 AQHA champion 3-year-old won the All American Derby plus two other major derbies last year. He'll enter this race following a second place finish in the Remington Park Invitational Championship on June 2.

"He's a really smart horse and very easy to train and get along with," Gomez said. "He's acclimated nicely to Los Alamitos."

The son of 2018 leading sire of money earners Apollitical Jess will start from post number two.

Bred, owned and trained by Bill Hoburg, BH Lisas Boy will be going after his 19th career victory from 33 starts when he starts from post number one.

The 6-year-old gelding finished second in the Grade 1 Vessels Maturity in his last start, but he's already won twice this season, including a hard-fought neck victory in the Grade 1 Brad McKinzie Los Alamitos Winter Championship. BH Lisas Boy won the Vessels and Los Alamitos Winter Championship last year. Jesus Rios Ayala picks up the mount aboard the son of Mighty Invictus in place of Cesar De Alba, who is on the mend following a riding injury.

The Reliance Ranches-owned duo of Flash N Bling and The Charm of Corona are among the top contenders in this race.

Last year, Flash N Bling won this race by ¾ lengths over eventual Grade 1 Champion of Champions winner Mr Pyc To You. Earlier this year, he won his Vessels Maturity trial before a very troubled start led to him finish ninth in the final. Cruz Mendez will ride the First Down Dash gelding for Mike Robbins from post number seven.

Robbins will also saddle The Charm of Corona, who in his best local effort ran second to BH Lisas Boy in the Vessels Maturity final last year. Cesar Franco gets the call on this Corona Cartel gelding.

Mark and Peggy Brown's Kissed By An Eagle has been knocking on the door of a major stakes victory throughout his career. He was third in last year's Grade 1 Los Alamitos Super Derby and second in the Grade 1 Southern California Derby. He also finished fourth in this year's Brad McKinzie. Ramon Sanchez will be up on the One Famous Eagle gelding for trainer Roman Figueroa from the outside post.

O-So Smart LLC's Maknmoves filly Katies Easy Moves, who ran fourth in the Vessels final a month ago and won the First Down Dash Handicap on December 9, and recent 550-yard allowance winner Arizona Icon will completed the field.

The top two finishers in Saturday's Bank of America California final will advance to the Grade 1 Bank of America Challenge Championship final to be held here on Saturday, November 17.

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Courtesy of www.losalamitos.com.