HE LOOKS HOT WINS HIS SECOND SPENCER CHILDERS
Ed Allred’s 7-year-old homebred superstar He Looks Hot took the lead shortly after the start and never looked back on the way to winning the Restricted Grade 1, $100,000 Spencer Childers California Breeders Championship Handicap by a neck over Bradbury Racing and Paul Jones’ Eyes The Favorite. He Looks Hot is now a two-time winner of the Spencer Childers with his first win coming in 2017.
He Looks Hot earned $48,000 for the win to take his career earnings to $1,295,930. This ageless superstar has now won 13 of 34 career starts with his most notable past victories being the 2014 Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity, the 2016 Grade 1 Vessels Maturity, and last year’s Grade 1 Robert L. Boniface Los Alamitos Invitational Championship. He also won the Moonist Handicap earlier this year. Ridden by Vinnie Bednar and trained by Scott Willoughby, He Looks Hot covered the 400 yards in :19.628.
He Looks Hot is a truly remarkable horse. In addition to continuing to race at the highest level at age 7, the gelding by Walk Thru Fire and out of Look Her Over has survived three colic surgeries since 2015.
“This horse is quite amazing,” Allred said. “I’ve never had horse like this that went through all the things he’s done. I can’t believe he keeps running. He’s got to stop sooner or later, but then again (full-brother) Once Over was still winning when he was eight. We’ll see how long He Looks Hot keeps running like this. It’s an amazing family. He Looks Hot has won the Childers twice and his brother (Once Over) also won this race. Of course, I’m happy because Spencer was my dearest friend and delighted to win this race again in his honor.”
Next for He Look Hot could be the Grade 1 Go Man Go Handicap in September.
Runner-up Eyes The Favorite was followed across the wire by Tarzanito, Da One Two Special, Chicks Fayvorite, Rite Regal, Black Fryday, and Yanque.
THERMONUCLEAR ENERGY DEFENDS HER MATRON TITLE
Parsons Family Limited Partnership’s Thermonuclear Energy successfully defended her title in the $40,000 Matron Stakes after breaking sharply from post number four and pulling away early in the race to score a 1 ¼ length victory over nine other top distaffers on Saturday at Los Alamitos.
With Eduardo Nicasio in the irons for trainer Chris O’Dell, Thermonuclear Energy covered the 400 yards in :19.599. A 6-year-old mare by Walk Thru Fire, the Parsons-bred mare won the Matron by ¾ lengths last year. She won the Grade 1 Charger Bar Handicap here in early January, but entered this race after a fifth place finish in the Denim N Diamonds Handicap.
“I didn’t think we had her quite tight enough,” O’Dell said of Thermonuclear Energy. “When you are messing with a good animal like that, and she runs well fresh, there are just so many pluses. She makes up for all my little mistakes. She did what we wanted her to do. I didn’t think we had her ready, but I guess we did. We only want to run her two or three times this year. We want to keep her nice and fresh.”
The Grade 1 Mildred Vessels Memorial Handicap in late September is the next goal for this mare according to O’Dell. Thermonuclear Energy earned $22,000 for the win to take her lifetime earnings to $405,757. She’s won 11 of 28 career starts.
Ed Allred’s Tough To Figure was second across the wire and was followed by Matilda Czech, La Rusa, Zendaya, Just Walk By, Strawfinders Jessee, Time To Leave, Pick A Favorite, and Jacque On Fire.
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