LOS ALAMITOS, CA—SEPTEMBER 30, 2020—Scratched from this race last year, Chris Sutton’s CM Boom Shakalaka returns to headline the field to this year’s running of the $25,000 Blane Schvaneveldt Handicap at 400 yards on Friday at Los Alamitos.

One of three strong contenders in this race from the barn of trainer Monty Arrossa, the 5-year-old CM Boom Shakalaka will enter this race in one of the best racing forms of his life. The gelding by Carters Cartel has won his last three starts, including the $40,000 Bank of America Emerald Championship Challenge at 440 yards on August 20.

CM Boom Shakalaka was among the top contenders in last year’s Schvaneveldt, but he was a program scratch, leaving him to wait for another year. The time is now for the Oregon-bred, as he is well drawn and will be ridden by Arrossa’s top rider, Jose Nicasio.

Arrossa, who has won this race twice before, will also saddle Five Livestock LLC’s Game Stealer, a razor-sharp Intermountain raider, who will come in with a three-race win streak of his own. Purchased at the Los Alamitos Equine Sale in 2018, Game Stealer ran four times at Los Alamitos in 2019 before establishing himself this year at Weber Downs, Pocatello and Oneida.

Arrossa also trains Gary and Jeralyn Messenger’s Zoom On Jess, who arrives after winning the Bitterroot Derby on July 31. He also won The Plan Handicap here last year. Cesar De Alba, a two-time winner of this race as a jockey, will look to saddle his first stakes winner as a trainer with the Arizona-bred Staubauch in this race. Mile High Derby runner-up Favorite Rock and Eye On Corona Derby winner Freight Boss will also race.

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Courtesy of www.losalamitos.com.