Racing


Zoomin For Spuds, He Looks Hot Win In Trials; Winter Championship Finalist To Be Decided
Zoomin For Spuds, under jockey Jesus Ayala, defeats 2018 AQHA Racing Champion Tarzanito, in the first of two trials Sunday night for the Grade 1 Brad McKinzie Los Alamitos Winter Championship.

© Scott Martinez
Zoomin For Spuds, He Looks Hot Win In Trials; Winter Championship Finalist To Be Decided

LOS ALAMITOS, CA—JANUARY 20, 2019— Zoomin For Spuds and He Looks Hot scored half-length victories in their respective trials to the Grade 1, $157,200 Brad McKinzie Los Alamitos Winter Championship on Sunday night. There was a malfunction of the electronic timer and photo finish in the second trial won by He Looks Hot. The racing stewards and the Los Alamitos racing office will meet with representatives of the Pacific Coast Quarter Horse Racing Association on Tuesday at the earliest to decide the finalist to the Winter Championship.

Owned and bred by Jim Walker, Zoomin For Spuds won the opening trial in wire-to-wire fashion on the way to recording his 13th win in 36 career starts. The winner of the 2016 Champion of Champions, Zoomin For Spuds came into the trials following a fourth place finish in last year's Champion of Champions on December 15.

He Looks Hot, under jockey Vinnie Bednar, winning the final trial for the Grade 1 Brad McKinzie Los Alamitos Winter Championship on Sunday. © Scott Martinez
"He's pretty incredible and he's all heart," trainer Monty Arrossa said. "When he breaks like that his heart gets big and he's tough to outrun. A few years ago we had issues with his feet. His feet have been great over the past year and he continues to bounce back from each race really well."

Jesus Rios Ayala piloted the 6-year-old Idaho-bred gelding.

The complete order of finish in the first trial is as follows: Zoomin For Spuds, Tarzanito, LD Is Back, Chance To Fire, Eyes The Favorite, Jesstacartel, Apollitical Stone, Jess Ravin and Clondike.

Ed Allred's homebred He Looks Hot scored his 10th career victory on Sunday to complete the requirements to earn the AQHA Supreme Race Horse honors. The award recognized Quarter Horses that earn $500,000 or more, win two or more open Grade 1 stakes races and win at least 10 races.

He Looks Hot won the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity in 2014, Grade 1 Vessels Maturity in 2016, and the Grade 1 Robert Boniface Los Alamitos Invitational Championship last year.

Ridden by Vinnie Bednar for trainer Scott Willoughby, He Looks Hot earned $4,400 for winning the second Winter Championship trial to take his career bankroll to $1,202,419 in 29 career starts. He's the 61st Quarter Horse to go over the $1.2 million mark.

"This horse has a heart as big as a truck," Willoughby said. "He's been through so much and keeps coming back. He's an amazing horse. Vinnie has done a great job with the horse and (assistant trainer) Juan Carlos Chavez stays (He Looks Hot) all the time. He's always with that horse."

The complete order of finish in the second trial is as follows: He Looks Hot, Da One Two Special, Katies Easy Moves, Yanque, My Favorite Check, BH Lisas Boy, Royaltys Authority, Corona Jumpin Mrl and Firey Colt.

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Courtesy of www.losalamitos.com.