Two Challenge races are on tap this weekend – get handicapping help before the races.

© Los Alamitos Race Course

By Ed Burgart

Chicks First Flash, runner-up in the Grade 2 Kindergarten Futurity last May, is the favorite but no slam dunk to this handicapper as the winner of Saturday's John Deere Los Alamitos Juvenile Challenge at Los Alamitos.

On Sunday at Hipodromo de las Americas, either Executive Temptation or Nashville Cartel is likely to capture the Bank of America Hipodromo Championship Challenge.

The winners of both aforementioned races earn berths to their respective finals on Bank of America Challenge Championship Night October 22 at Horseshoe Indianapolis.

John Deere Juvenile California Challenge

Coming off a 1 1/4-length victory in the Fred Scane Overnight Handicap seven weeks ago, Chicks First Flash certainly deserves the favorite's role. The gelding has two wins and two seconds in four starts and easily tops the 10-horse field with $62,625 in money earned.

So why is he a vulnerable favorite? First, he must start from the rail post and can't afford to display the same lugging-out antics he did during the final 1/8 of his last stakes victory. In his prior Kindergarten runner-up try, he rallied for second after getting bumped off stride in the hindquarters soon after the start. The quick-breaking gelding enjoyed the far outside post in his first two starts and doesn't have as much room to improve as a few of his foes with inferior credentials.

Thus, I give Imm Born To Fly, Famous Miss Kitty and Reminder excellent chances for victory and can't ignore the chances of Fired Up For This 1.

Drawn on the rail when third against Chicks First Flash in the Fred Scane Handicap, Imm Born To Fly now starts from Post 5. The filly was lightly bumped at the start and finished with a nice stride when 1 3/4 lengths behind Chicks First Flash from the rail. She broke super in her first two starts when victorious from posts 6 and 5, respectively.

Famous Miss Kitty, who starts from Post 6, is a serious contender. She broke fast and displayed a smooth stride in a 1 1/2-length maiden win three weeks ago when scoring the evening's fastest of four 300-yard victories. In her prior Ruidoso Futurity (G1) trial, she was second against Out Of The Way, who returned to win a Rainbow Futurity (G1) trial.

Reminder has plenty of room to improve and has impeccable breeding. She is a full sister to Grade 1 winners Powerful Favorite, Runforyourlife and Cyber Monday, and was third in a productive Ed Burke Million Futurity (G1) trial two outs ago behind recent Governor's Cup Futurity (RG2) winner Frivolous and eventual Ed Burke Million first-place finisher Party Politics. Reminder starts from Post 9.

Fired Up For This 1 also merits consideration. He hit the side of the gate while veering out to get bumped when seventh in an Ed Burke Million trial 10 weeks ago. He since broke sharp and went handily when posting a :12.3 gate work for 220 yards while 1 1/2 lengths best over a workmate.

In summary, I'm not going to toss Chicks First Flash out of any exotics consideration, but am selecting Famous Miss Kitty and Reminder as my top two selections. My suggested betting strategy is to make win wagers on both Famous Miss Kitty and Reminder while using Chicks First Flash, Fired Up For This 1 and Imm Born to Fly in the second and third trifecta positions.

So, my play is 6,9 with 1,3,5,6,9 with 1,3,5,6,9.

Bank of America Hipodromo Championship Challenge

Executive Temptation is the clear favorite in the 440-yard race while Nashville Cartel is coming off a rapid maiden victory.

Last year, Executive Temptation captured the Adequan® Hipodromo Derby Challenge and is the field's only multiple winner on Sunday. He has captured his last two races and has been no worse than third in four 2022 starts.

Nashville Cartel was second behind Executive Temptation in last year's Adequan® Hipodromo Derby Challenge and defeated 10 maidens with a decisive 2 1/2-length score six weeks ago. He has one win and four seconds from eight starts.

AQHA News and information is a service of the American Quarter Horse Association. For more news and information, follow @AQHA Racing on Twitter and on Instagram, "like" Q-Racing on Facebook, and visit www.aqha.com/racing.