LOS ALAMITOS, CA—MARCH 21, 2017—The purse for the Grade 1 Champion of Champions, the most prestigious race in the nation for older Quarter Horses, has been increased to $750,000 for 2017 said Los Alamitos Race Course Owner Ed Allred on Monday afternoon, up from the $600,000 offered in the race last year.

The $750,000 Champion of Champions will be contested at 440 yards at Los Alamitos on Saturday, December 16, 2017.

"The Champion of Champions at Los Alamitos is and has always been the most important race in the country for older Quarter Horses," Allred said. "The race represents the top of the sport and as such we wanted to give it a significant purse increase to accentuate that fact. We want to catch the attention of those that own the best Quarter Horses in the sport. The Champion of Champions is one of the events that makes Los Alamitos a special place to race."

The Champion of Champions has been an institution at Los Alamitos ever since World Champion Mr Jet Moore won its inaugural running in 1972. The Champion of Champions offered a $50,000 purse for its first four years before going up to $100,000 in 1977, just in time for World Champion Dash For Cash’s second consecutive victory in the race. Dash For Speed won the first $250,000 running of the race in 1990 with the purse eventually reaching $500,000 for World Champion Tailor Fit’s victory in 2001. The Champion of Champion had a record $1 million purse for one year in 2007 and a $750,000 purse from 2008 through 2012. It had featured a $600,000 purse from 2013 until last year. The 2014 edition of the Champion of Champions was cancelled by track management due to a widely publicized Clenbuterol controversy. Los Alamitos instituted hair testing guidelines for the2015 Champion of Champions, which remain in place for this race and most of the major stakes races at Los Alamitos. A record 28 winners of the Champion of Champions have been named AQHA world champions since 1972.

Los Alamitos Race Course also raised purses to four key races in the distaff division for 2017 led by the Grade 1 Mildred Vessels Memorial Handicap, which was increased to $125,000 up from $100,000. The Grade 3 Miss Princess Handicap, Grade 3 Las Damas Handicap, and the Ivan Ashment Handicap for Cal-Breds also received purse increases.

In addition, Los Alamitos Race Course is home to three different futurities with purses of $1 million or more in the form of the Grade 1 Ed Burke Million Futurity in June, the Grade 1 Golden State Million Futurity in November and the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity in December. The Orange County track is also home to the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Super Derby, which traditionally features a purse of over $900,000. For the entire 2017 Los Alamitos stakes schedule, please visit www.losalamitos.com or call 714-820-2788 for more info.

The Road To The $750,000 Champion Of Champion

To be held Saturday, December 16, 2017 at Los Alamitos Race Course.

The following races offer automatic starting berths:

• Los Alamitos Winter Championship on February 17 – Won by BH Lisas Boy
• Remington Park Championship on June 3
• Vessels Maturity on July 2
• All American Derby on September 3
• Mildred Vessels Memorial Handicap on September 24
• Albuquerque Fall Quarter Horse Championship on September 24
• Bank of America Challenge Championship on October 14
• Robert L. Boniface Los Alamitos Invitational Championship on October 15
• Los Alamitos Super Derby on November 12
• Z. Wayne Griffin Directors Trials on November 19

If an additional berth should open up, the winner of the Go Man Go Handicap on September 3rd will receive that open berth.

Courtesy of www.losalamitos.com.