LOS ALAMITOS, CA— JANUARY 30, 2015— Nine horse fields will highlight each of the four trials to the $99,500 Los Alamitos Maiden Stakes with the trials also making up the races for the popular late Pick 4 sequence to be held on Saturday night at the Orange County oval. First post time is 6 p.m. with the trials beginning with the evening’s fifth race.

The horses with the 10 fastest times in the trials will move on the Los Alamitos Maiden Stakes final to be held on Sunday, February 22. Past winners of the Maiden Stakes include Grade 1 winner LDS Dash For Dylan, El Primero Del Ano Derby winner Royal Proclamation, and Another Oatie, last year’s winner who went to qualify to the Grade 1 Southern California Derby.

Horses are eligible to compete in the trials if they were maidens as of December 1. Twelve of the 36 trialists have since paid at least one visit to the winner’s circle.

The opening trial of the night will be headed by Felix A. Gonzalez’s A Mere Patron, a half brother of 2007 Los Alamitos Maiden Stakes winner A Mere Splash and half brother of 2008 Grade 1 Los Alamitos Winter Derby winner A Mere Chocolate.

A Mere Patron has yet to win a race, but he’s finished second in two of his six career starts. A Mere Patron finished second in the Ed Burke Memorial Juvenile Stakes Wade Siegel and Don Boyle’s Twiggy Hawkins has won a race and has also finished third four times. The highly competitive filly will start from post number one in this trial.

Others to watch include Sally and David Kidd’s KR Showboat, who returned to racing with a nice neck victory on December 19 for trainer Cody Joiner, and Isla Vista Ranch SS, Inc’s recent winner Worth The Price.

The second trial will include Isaias Esperza’s Cruel Ride, who ran second to Sass Me Blue in the trials to the Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity before breaking his maiden by daylight on December 13. He’ll face a group that includes Tres Corona Cash, who ran third in those trials to Bac In Front. Alan Berliner and Paul Jones’ Vomvos is another one to watch after hitting the board in all four of his career starts.

The third trial is a wide open contest thanks to talented runners like recent runaway winner Fire Fortune and A Mere Patron’s half sister A Mere Bella. The latter also scored an easy victory in her last race. EG High Desert Farms’ Rainbolt did not race during his freshman year, but was a half-length winner in his sophomore debut for trainer Yanet Rodriguez. This will be his second career start.

The final trial will feature San Gregorio Racing Stables’ Delightful Molly, a half sister of 2013 champion 2-year-old colt Five Bar Cartel and half sister of Winter Derby finalist Cartels Big Gun.

Courtesy of www.losalamitos.com.