Holmybeeranwatchthis (#1), under jockey Ricardo Ramiez, pulls off the victory in the $30,000 James Smith Memorial Stakes at Los Alamitos Race Course Sunday night.

© Amber Mendez

LOS ALAMITOS, CA–APRIL 5, 2025–Trainer Eddie Willis is firmly established as the leading Quarter Horse trainer at Los Alamitos with 14 victories this season.

His wins have included the Grade 1 Brad McKinzie Los Alamitos Winter Championship with Reliance Ranches' Unrelentless and the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Oaks with Abel Flores and James Sills' Shaken Goin On.

Having already picked up top victories in the divisions for older horse and sophomore fillies, Willis added a stakes win in the open sophomore ranks after Reliance Ranches' Holmybeeranwatchthis scored his third straight victory of the season while taking the $30,000 James Smith Memorial Handicap on Saturday at Los Alamitos.

Jockey Ricardo Ramirez and assistant trainer Albert Valles accept the James-Smith-Handicap stakes trophy.
© Orlando Gutierrez

Ridden by Ricardo Ramirez from post number one, the homebred colt by Coronado Cartel left sharply and had a ¾ length lead during the early going. He maintained that lead to the midway point of the 350-yard dash and then held off a massive late rally by the Marc Jungers-trained Invasive and a big surge by Ed Allred's Listen Now to win the James Smith by a nose. 

Sent off at 4-1 odds, Holmybeeranwatchthis covered the distance in :17.740 to add this win to his allowance win on March 23 and his ½ length maiden win on January 4.

Out of the 2020 Los Alamitos Oaks winner Dreams Divine, Holmybeeranwatchthis earned $16,500 for the win to take his career earnings to $35,312. The colt has certainly improved in a big way during this 3-year-old campaign, as he was winless in nine starts during his juvenile season.

For winning rider Ricardo Ramirez, this proved to be another nice feather in his cap aboard Quarter Horses. Best known as one of the top distance riders at Los Alamitos, Ramirez has proven himself to be a top jockey down the straightaway. He piloted EG High Desert Farms' Favorite Jesshawk to victory in last year's Governor's Cup Futurity and in the Los Alamitos Invitational Juvenile and has now added the James Smith while piloting for the meet's leading trainer.  

"Thankfully, things have been going well for me aboard Quarter Horses," Ramirez said. "They are fast. I've been able to feel comfortable on them because I also ride a lot of fast Thoroughbreds here. Mr. Enrique (Gonzalez of EG High Desert) gave an opportunity in his barn. I've been working hard every morning, and the work has paid off with more opportunities."

Owned by a partnership, Invasive, who was second in the Los Alamitos Maiden Stakes earlier this year, earned $6,750 for running second with Rodrigo Aceves in the irons. The Scott Willoughby-trained Listen Now earned $3,750 for running third with Gabriel Lara up. Jess Flaming and The Gold N One completed the field.

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