Ronnie Brooks Keller’s Normandy will head the $30,000 Adequan California Derby Challenge Sunday night at Los Alamitos.

© Kira Crook

LOS ALAMITOS, CA—MAY 10, 2023— Four sophomores with experience in graded stakes events this season will headline a field of 10 talented runners racing in the $30,000 Adequan California Derby Challenge at 400 yards Sunday night at Los Alamitos. 

First post is set for 5:35 p.m. with an allowance event featuring James Smith Handicap winner Jessica Cruz also on tap.

Ronnie Brooks Keller’s Normandy will head the Adequan following a string of high-level performances in his last four starts. The Roman Figueroa-trainee finished third in the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Winter Derby on February 18.

He also finished second to eventual Winter Derby winner Take A Swig Of This in the trials and in his last start ran third to Jessica Cruz in the James Smith. An allowance winner in his final start of 2022, Normandy’s solid recent record makes him a definite contender in the Adequan. 

Other top names in this race include Five Livestock Company and Steve Wright’s Chicks First Flash, who was the runner-up in the James Smith, but eighth in the Winter Derby.

He won the John Deere California Challenge as a 2-year-old last year. David Hinkins’ Price Fixer posted the fastest qualifying time to the Grade 2 El Primero Del Año Derby, but a rough trip did not help his chances on the way to running seventh.

Hinkins will also be represented by Budder Off Friends, who ran in the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Oaks on March 25. She’s one of three fillies in this race along with Wild West Futurity winner Suite Caroline and Dashas Dynasty.

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On Saturday night, three highly competitive Quarter Horse allowance events will head 10-race card at Los Alamitos. The allowances will be contested as races six, nine and 10 and will feature a strong number of stakes experienced horses.                                   

Race six will consist of fillies and mares meeting at the 350-yard distance. The field will include multiple graded stakes finalist BF Lizzierageous and the solid sophomore filly A Revenant Lady.

BF Lizzierageous is the most accomplished of the group after running in the Governor’s Cup Futurity last year and the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Oaks in March. Owned by Kevin Birrell, the Foose filly was third in a similar allowance event in her last start.

Johnny Trotter’s A Revenant Lady will enter after running second in her last three allowance events.   

In race eight, Gary Allred, Tyler Christensen, Fawna Knight, et al.’s Dangerous Fella will look for his California win. He came close in the Los Alamitos Maiden Stakes events, running second in his trial and third in the final. He was second in the Utah Bred Futurity last year.

The 10th and final race will be headed by S & S Horses’ Fortunate Corona, who ran in last year’s Golden State Million Futurity and in this year’s Los Alamitos Winter Derby. Graded derby finalists Jessanothercartel and Insider will also race.

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For more info' please contact larace@losalamitos.com. Follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @losalracing or visit us online at www.losalamitos.com.