Brad McKinzie Los Alamitos Winter Championship Trials Preview

Empressum, a homebred son of Apollitical Jess racing for Steve Holt and Jeff Jones and the sport's reigning world champion, will make his 5-year-old season debut in Sunday's 400-yard Brad McKinzie Los Alamitos Winter Championship (G1) trials at Los Alamitos Racecourse.

Empressum will be shortening in distance off of his convincing 1 1/4-length win in American Quarter Horse racing's richest and most prestigious race for older runners, the 440-yard, $750,000 Champion of Champions (G1) at Los Alamitos on December 10. The sorrel gelding has won three Grade 1 stakes at Los Alamitos, including last year's 400-yard, $156,000 Vessels Maturity (G1), and 400-yard, $100,000 Go Man Go Handicap (G1).

Empressum drew post 2 and will be ridden by Rodrigo Vallejo for trainer Heath Taylor in the first of two trials.

Other prominent aged sprinters entered in Sunday's heats include two-time Champion of Champions winner Apollitical Pence. A homebred 7-year-old son of Apollitical Jess trained by Monty Arrossa for owner Dunn Ranch, the gelding earned $260,784 from six starts last year in California and New Mexico, and his five wins included a wire-to-wire, half-length victory in the Brad McKinzie Los Alamitos Winter Championship.

Apollitical Pence drew post 3 and will be ridden by Armando Cervantes in the second trial

A total of 13 horses are entered in Sunday's trials. The 10 fastest qualifiers  will meet in the $144,950 final.

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