LOS ALAMITOS, CA—NOVEMBER 28, 2019—Legacy Ranch's Mister Appolitical and Ed Allred's Chocolatito put on a show the last time they squared off in the Grade 3 PCQHRA Breeders Derby on October 4.

The two geldings hooked up shortly after the start and battled each other every step of the way in the 400-yard race. At the wire, it was Mister Appolitical first by an inch after gamely fighting off the late pressure from the outstanding Chocolatito.

Mister Appolitical and Chocolatito will meet for the first time since their classic encounter when they headline the third of four trials to the Grade 2, $168,700 Southern California Derby on Friday night at Los Alamitos. Thirty sophomores will compete in the 400-yard trials with the 10 fastest qualifiers advancing to the December 13 final.

The Southern California Derby will kick-off the meet's closing week of racing that will also include the Champion of Champions on Saturday, December 14 and the 25th running of the Los Alamitos Two Million on Sunday, December 15. The final trial will also feature multiple stakes winner KR Hi Five and Grade 1 stakes finalist You Caught My Eye.

The opening trial will be headed by Keith Nellesen's Corona By Corona, who ran fourth in the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Super Derby in his last start. He'll be taking on two other Super Derby finalists on Friday, as he'll also face Red Hawk Cartel, the fifth place finisher in that million dollar derby, and Bail Czech, who finished eighth after a promising start. This heat is a wide-open test, as recent impressive allowance winner Galloping Goddess and Super Derby trial runner-up Hot Little Kiddy will also compete.

Sophomores in the second trial will be headed by Ruth Barbour, Wendy O'Dell and Colten O'Dell's Tac Me Up, who is a five-time winner in his career. Stakes placed runners Jess Flashee, Arizona Favorite and Jess Send It are among the other top contenders in this heat.

The final trial of the night will feature a pair of Super Derby finalists in Dexxter and Symbol Of Faith, the sixth and ninth place finishers in the million dollar race. Transcend is one to watch, as he made a huge late run to finish third in the PCQHRA Breeders Derby before a troubled outing led to him finishing out of the money in his Super Derby trial.

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Courtesy of www.losalamitos.com.