LOS ALAMITOS, CA—FEBRUARY 12, 2016—Round three of Quarter Horse racing’s premiere rivalry will take place on Sunday night when AQHA World Champion Heza Dasha Fire faces four-time champion Moonist in the running of the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Winter Championship. The Valentine’s Day card will start at 5:10 p.m. (PST) and will also feature a special evening of activities in the Vessels Club.

On the racetrack, Quarter Horse racing enthusiasts figure to love the matchup between Heza Dasha Fire and Moonist. Heza Dasha Fire won their first ever meeting in the Grade 1 Champion of Champions, a victory that helped clinch his world champion title. Moonist came back to beat his foe in the trials to the Winter Championship on January 24 to even up the score at one win a piece. The rubber match figures to be a classic now, as both Heza Dasha Fire and Moonist remain in top form coming into the 400-yard race. A total of 10 older horses will compete in the Winter Championship with the winner of the final earning the first automatic starting berth to the 2016 Champion of Champions to be held on December 10.

“It’s going to be a great race,” said Jose Flores, who trains Heza Dasha Fire. “Moonist is a true champion and Heza Dasha Fire is just an amazing horse. They’re the time of horses that if you line them up to face each other 20 times, they would probably win 10 races each. When my horse is going against Moonist I know that he’s facing a great horse. Plus, his connections, trainer John Cooper and owners Ron and Jeryl Hartley, are just great people. I love to have fun with Cooper about this matchup. It’s just a lot of fun to be a part of it.”

Now a 4-year-old, Heza Dasha Fire won the Grade 1 Ed Burke Million Futurity and Grade 1 Golden State Million Futurity during his 2-year-old campaign and the Champion of Champions, Grade 1 Los Alamitos Super Derby, and Grade 2 Golden State Derby last year. He’ll enter Sundaynight with 11 wins in 13 starts and earnings of $1,690,738. Cruz Mendez will ride Heza Dasha Fire from post six.

Meanwhile, the 5-year-old Moonist is a modern day iron horse. Sired by champion Separatist, Moonist has missed very few dances over the course of his racing career. He averaged 10 starts per year during his first three racing campaigns, which included 20 victories and 11 stakes wins. His overall record, which includes his derby trial win, sits at 21 wins in 31 starts and earnings of $805,494.

Moonist is also one of only nine Quarter Horse with at least 11 stakes wins at Los Alamitos Race Course and a win in the Winter Championship would make him one of only seven with 12 stakes wins at the historic Orange County track. Honored as the AQHA champion aged horses and champion aged gelding in 2015, Moonist will enter the Winter Championship final on a high. His win over Heza Dasha Fire was one of his best ever efforts while helping to take this rivalry to the next atmosphere. “Moonist is a dandy,” said trainer John Cooper. “I know Heza Dasha Fire is a great horse, but I wouldn’t trade Moonist for any horse out there.”

Cooper is a special trainer as well. Of the nine horses to have reached the 11 stakes win mark at Los Alamitos, Cooper has trained three of them. In addition next to Moonist, he also conditioned the champion Chingaderos and the 870-yard legend Sign Of Lanty. Cooper also trained Moonist’s sire, Separatist, one of the great horses of the past 20 years at Los Alamitos. Cesar DeAlba will ride Moonist from post five, while Heza Dasha Fire will start right next to him in post number six.

The rest of the field should not be ignored, as it will include Champion of Champions fourth place finisher French Fury, also honored as 2015’s most improved horse by the PCQHRA, and Walk The Catwalk, a multiple stakes placed horse named PCQHRA’s 3-year-old colt of the year. Jake Gold BR, winner of the Bank of America California Challenge Championship, will start from post number nine in the Winter Championship. The Brazilian-bred was third in this race last year and his solid campaign netted him the title of PCQHRA’s aged stallion of the year.

Another runner to watch in the final is EG High Desert Farms’ Dr Jess, the winner of Winter Championship trial, and a winner of four of his last six starts. Yanet Rodriguez will saddle the gelding by Mr Jess Perry. Wilmas Alright Now, winner of the John Ward Handicap, Lake Forest Handicap winner Sugardaddy B, and multiple stakes finalists Fiery Kimbo and Jiffy James will complete the field.

Courtesy of www.losalamitos.com.