By Andrea Caudill

THE AMERICAN QUARTER HORSE JOURNAL—DECEMBER 2, 2010—Apollitical Jess is one of the top 3-year-olds in the country, and he will take on older horses for the first time December 11 in the Champion of Champions at Los Alamitos Race Course in California. The colt is owned by breeder Juan Alberto Lizarraga Tirado’s Rancho El Cabresto Inc. and is trained by Juan Aleman.

Apollitical Jess as a 2-year-old finished second in the Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity (G1) at Los Alamitos, and returned as a 3-year-old to finish second in the All American Derby (G1) at Ruidoso Downs. He then returned to Los Alamitos, where he won the Los Alamitos Super Derby (G1) in track record time, covering the 400 yards in :19.133 and qualifying for the Champion of Champions.

“The Champion of Champions is going to be a tremendous race with Freaky, A Tempting Dash and our horse in there,” Tirado Lizarraga said after winning the Super Derby. “If you are 3-year-old and you want to be a world champion, then you have to beat older horses and the world champion Freaky and A Tempting Dash are here, so it doesn’t get any tougher.”

The winner of seven of 13 lifetime starts, Apollitical Jess has earned $1,024,831.

Apollitical Jess comes from a cross of two champions. His sire, Mr Jess Perry, was the sport’s 1994 champion 2-year-old and is the sire of earners of more than $34.4 million. His dam, Apollitical Time, earned $904,242 and is a three-time champion.

Los Alamitos Race Course is proud to host the 39th running of the Grade 1 $750,000 Champion of Champions at 440 yards on Saturday, December 11.

The Champion of Champions is the richest event for older horses in the nation, and it has traditionally impacted several American Quarter Horse championship divisions over the years. All in all, 25 of the 38 winners have been crowned racing world champions. Legendary American Quarter Horses, including Charger Bar, Dash For Cash and Refrigerator, have won the Champion of Champions since its inception in 1972.

APOLLITICAL JESS' LIFETIME RECORD

APOLLITICAL JESS' CATALOG PAGE

Fans can watch live racing at Los Alamitos and most other American Quarter Horse tracks throughout the year by subscribing to Q-Racing Video. Q-Racing Video will be offered free of charge the weekend of December 10, so fans can watch the Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity (G1) and Champion of Champions live from Los Alamitos Race Course in California, plus sample Q-Racing Video’s other features like live chat with professional handicappers. Subscribers have unlimited live access to almost every Quarter Horse simulcasting signal in the United States, plus unlimited access to archived race video.

For more information, visit www.qracingvideo.com.