Fancy Upp heads the Holiday Handicap on Sunday in the opening night of the 2026 season at Los Alamitos.

© Los Alamitos

By Orlando Gutierrez

LOS ALAMITOS, CA—DECEMBER 24, 2025–The final stakes for juveniles at Los Alamitos in 2025 lured a solid cast of nine 2-year-olds for $25,000 Holiday Handicap on the opening night of the meet here on Sunday evening. 

Kolleen Ledgerwood’s Fancy Upp heads the field after running in a pair of futurities this year. The Favorite Cartel filly finished third in the Restricted Grade 1 Governor’s Cup Futurity and also competed in the Grade 2 PCQHRA Breeders Futurity. T

he filly continued her fine form in the trials to the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity, winning the 400-yard race over a field that included Cynter Of Attention, Darioush and Eyedios.

All three of those horses came back to break their maiden in their next start. Cesar DeAlba trains Fancy Upp, whose dam is the 2013 Governor’s Cup Futurity winner Up For It.

Dennis Jensen and Randy Young’s Elemyntal will also be in action in the Holiday Handicap. The Freighttrain B filly ran third in the PCQHRA Breeders Futurity and now races for AQHA champion trainer Marc Jungers.

LCI, LLC’s Bandita, a winner of her Golden State Million trial and runner-up in her All American Futurity trial, is another top contender in this event. Johnny Trotter’s Famous Talk is another to watch after he finished third in his Los Alamitos Two Million trial.

Dale Winterton’s Shine Ellyn, winner of a trial to the Breeders Futurity, and recent allowance winner Me Shinning are among the other top juveniles in this race. Three others will also race.

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