$750,000 CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS, OVER $11.3 MILLION IN STAKES PURSES
HEADS 2021-2022 LOS ALAMITOS QUARTER HORSE STAKES SCHEDULE
FULL STAKES SCHEDULE HERE
LOS ALAMITOS RACE COURSE, CYPRESS, CA.... Continuing its deep commitment to major Quarter Horse racing on a year-round basis, Los Alamitos Race Course will have the nation’s richest stakes schedule during its 2021-22 racing season, featuring projected stakes purses of over $11.3 million, and a strongly enhanced schedule led by the Grade 1, $750,000 Champion of Champions.
The $750,000 purse for the Champion of Champions represents an increase of $150,000 for the sport’s most prestigious race for Quarter Horses 3-year-olds and upward. The 2022 running will also mark the 50th running of the Champion of Champions and will be held here at 440-yards on Saturday, December 10.
The Los Alamitos schedule will also be highlighted by the best stakes program – bar none - in the country for Quarter Horse fillies and mares. The stakes schedule for the distaff division will be headed by three races featuring purses of $100,000 or more, plus a fourth race featuring a $75,000 purse also in this division.
The first of the three is the Grade 1, $100,000 Charger Bar for mares, 4-year-olds and up on Sunday, January 2 followed by the first ever running of the $100,000 Abigail Kawananakoa Stakes for fillies and mares, ages 3 and up to be held on Sunday, June 12. The Grade 1, $125,000 Mildred Vessels Memorial Handicap is the third rich event of meet for fillies and mares and will be contested at its traditional spot on the calendar on Sunday, September 18. The purse to the Las Damas Handicap has been increased from $50,000 to $75,000, giving the distaff division another marquee race with a top purse this upcoming season. The Las Damas will be held on Saturday, November 19. The Mildred Vessels and Las Damas are both for fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up.
The track will also host its third running of the $500,000 projected Los Alamitos Oaks for 3-year-old fillies to be held on Saturday, March 26. Los Alamitos has also added six new stakes races in 2022 for 3 & up fillies and mares with each race featuring a purse of $25,000 or more. The new fillies and mares stakes races are the $25,000 Dashingly for 4-year-olds and up on January 2; $35,000 Virginia Hyland for 3-year-olds and up on March 13; $25,000 Dashing Folly for 3-year-olds and up, non-winners of 2022 to be held on April 10; $25,000 Check Her Twice for 3-year-olds and up on June 12; $25,000 Florentine for 3-year-olds and up which have not earned $25,000 in 2022; and the $25,000 Go Josie Go for 3-year-olds and up on September 18.
All these races for fillies and mares are in addition to returning stakes events like the $35,000 Denim N Diamonds on Feb. 26; $50,000 Miss Princess on May 8, $40,000 Matron Stakes for Cal-breds on July 30; $30,000 AQHA Q Racing California Distaff on August 7; and the$35,000 Sound Dash on October 8. The stakes schedule also includes events strictly for 2-year-old fillies and 3-year-old fillies.
77 STAKES IN 2022 AT LOS ALAMITOS
With a projected stakes schedule of more than $11.3 million, 77 Quarter Horse stakes races are on tap for the upcoming Los Alamitos meet. The purse figure represents an increase of over $700,000 from an already outstanding stakes schedule of $10.64 million in 2021 at the Orange County track.
The richest race of the 2022 season will be the 28th running of the Grade 1 $1,800,000 projected Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity to be held on Sunday, December 11. The Los Alamitos Two Million will also be California’s richest race of any breed in 2022.
Los Alamitos’ richest derby, the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Super Derby is projected to have a purse of around $1,000,000 and will be held on Sunday, November 6. The Southern California track will have two more million dollar races in 2002, the Grade 1 $1,000,000 Ed Burke Million Futurity on Sunday, June 19 and the Grade 1 $1,000,000 Golden State Million Futurity on Sunday, October 30.
California Breeders Champions Weekend will be held on July 30-31 featuring the RG1 $100,000 Spencer Childers California Breeders Championship Handicap, RG2 $400,000 projected Governor’s Cup Futurity, RG3 $225,000 estimated Governor’s Cup Derby, and RG3 $40,000 California Breeders Matron Stakes.
RICH WINTER SESSION KICKS OFF THE MEET
The winter portion of the meet will be headed by three major Grade 1 races. The $100,000 Charger Bar Handicap at 400 yards will feature the top mares on the grounds squaring off on Sunday, January 2. The Grade 1, $200,000 projected Los Alamitos Winter Derby at 400 yards on Saturday, February 19 and the Grade 1, $160,000 Brad McKinzie Los Alamitos Winter Championship at 400 yards on Sunday, February 20 will also be contested during the winter part of the meet. The $125,000 Los Alamitos Maiden Stakes will be held the following week on Sunday, February 27.
NATION’S BEST PROGRAM FOR OLDER HORSES
Los Alamitos has a Quarter Horse stakes program for aged runners that is unmatched nationwide. In addition to the $750,000 Champion of Champions, the Brad McKinzie Winter Championship, and Spencer Childers, Los Alamitos will host three other Grade 1 races for older horses in 2022: the Grade 1, $150,000 Vessels Maturity on July 3; the Grade 1, $100,000 Go Man Go Handicap on August 28; and the Grade 1, $125,000 Robert L. Boniface Los Alamitos Invitational Championship on October 8.
DERBY HIGHLIGHTS
Los Alamitos’ great derby tradition continues in 2022 with the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Super Derby and Grade 1 Los Alamitos Winter Derby leading the way. The Orange County oval will also host the Grade 2 Golden State Derby on August 14 and Grade 2 Southern California Derby to be held on the meet’s closing night on Sunday, December 18, 2022. Other derbies to be contested are the El Primero Del Ano Derby for colts and geldings on the weekend of March 27 and the Governor’s Cup Derby. Los Alamitos will also run the Grade 3 PCQHRA Breeders Derby during the Los Alamitos Equine Sale weekend on Saturday, October 1.
SIX MAJOR FUTURITIES ON THE DOCKET
Six major graded futurities are scheduled at Los Alamitos in 2022. In addition to the three Grade 1 futurities with million-dollar purses and the Restricted Grade 2 Governor’s Cup Futurity, Los Alamitos will also host the Grade 2, $400,000 projected Robert Adair Kindergarten Futurity, named in honor of the legendary Hall of Fame jockey. Other futurities include the Grade 2, $400,000 projected PCQHRA Breeders Futurity on Sunday, October 2 and the $125,000 projected Wild West Futurity on Sunday, October 23 for horses from the Intermountain, Northwest regions plus Arizona, Nevada and Canada. Developing juveniles will have the $70,000 estimated Los Alamitos Claiming Futurity to set their sights on with the finals to be held on August 21.
SUMMER AND FALL 1,000-YARD SERIES IN 2022
Los Alamitos will conduct two $50,000 finals for horses 3-year-olds and upward at 1,000 Yards in 2022. The first $50,000 final will be held on Sunday, June 26, while the second will be held on Sunday, December 4. The overall format for each of these finals will be the same as in 2021 with horses racing at either 870 or 1,000 yards at Los Alamitos earning one point per each dollar earned at those distances.
Horses with highest total of points from December 26 through Sunday, June 18 will be in line to compete in the June 26 event, while horses with the highest total of points from June 30 through November 27 will be in line to compete in the December 4 final. Just like in the 2021 series, Quarter Horses have first preference to enter the $50,000 finals.
Los Alamitos will also host $30,000 finals at 1,000 yards for fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and upward on June 26 and also on December 4 plus a $30,000 final at 1,000 yards for the next 10 highest point earners in the fall series. Quarter Horses will have first preference in these races as well. Full rules are available in the Los Alamitos Racing Office.
The Los Alamitos stakes schedule is now available online at LosAlamitos.com. The Holiday Handicap will kick off the new meet when racing returns on Sunday, December 26. For more information, contact 714-820-2690.
-30-
