LOS ALAMITOS: UPSET MAIDEN WINNER DAPPER BIDS FOR REPEAT IN CAPOTE STAKES

By Bob Mieszerski —-

CYPRESS, Calif. – A 16-1 winner in his debut last month, Dapper will seek a repeat in the inaugural $75,000 Capote Stakes Saturday at Los Alamitos.

Scheduled for 6 ½ furlongs and restricted to 2-year-olds, the Capote is the eighth of 10 races. Post time Saturday is 1 p.m. Scheduled post time for the Capote is 4:28 p.m.

Los Alamitos will also offer as many as three seats to the 2019 National Thoroughbred Racing Association National Handicapping Championship in Las Vegas with a live money contest Saturday.

The cost to enter the second Los Alamitos Fall Qualifier of the LACF meet is $500. Of that amount, $100 will be placed in the contest prize pool with the remaining funds going towards a live-money wagering card.

Contestants must enter prior to post time for the first race Sept. 21. Players can begin entering the contest once track gates open at 9:30 a.m. that morning.

Tournament races will include the entire card at Los Alamitos with permitted wagers including win, place, show, exactas, trifectas and daily doubles.

Each entry must bet at least $400 during the contest to be eligible for prizes.

The player with the highest bankroll at the end of the day will be declared the winner and the player with the second highest bankroll will be the runner-up.

The winner will receive 50% of the prize pool, which will be capped at $10,000. The remaining payoffs: 20% (2nd place), 15% (3rd place), 7.5% (4th place) and 7.5% (most money wagered).

Three NHC berths will be up for grabs if the contest has more than 75 entrants. If less than 75, two NHC spots will be on the line.

Trained by Gary Stute for owner-breeder Bo Hirsch, Dapper kicked clear from fellow state breds to score by 2 ¼ lengths Aug. 30.

A son of Papa Clem and the Bernstein mare Well Polished, Dapper earned $36,600 for the victory. He worked five furlongs in 1:02 since the race Sept. 11 at Santa Anita.

Tap Back, who finished third in the I’m Smokin Stakes Aug. 30, will make his Los Alamitos debut for owner and co-breeder Richard Barton and trainer Jeff Bonde.

The son of Einstein and the Tapit mare Tap Tap Ur t scored a 15-1 surprise in his Aug. 16 debut before chasing Square Deal and Bluegrass Faith in the I’m Smokin. He’s earned $48,600.

Georgian Road will go for new connections after breaking his maiden against $32,000 claimers as the 8-5 favorite Aug. 30 for owner George Jacobs and Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert.

The son of Quality Road and the Not for Love mare Oh She’s So On was claimed out of the win by trainer Sal Gonzalez for Tricar Stables, Inc. The win was worth $14,600.

Baffert entered the maiden Hydrogen for a partnership that includes SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC and Frederick Hertrich III. A gray son of Violence and the Pulpit mare L.A. Devine, Hydrogen has earned $19,520 in two races. He was third in his Aug. 17 bow, then returned to finish second two weeks later.

Raging Whiskey goes route to sprint and turf to dirt for trainer Doug O’Neill after trailing in the Del Mar Juvenile Turf Sept. 1.

The Bourbon Courage colt out of the Quiet American mare Fullerene is 1-for-5 with earnings of $65,201 for Pappas Horse Racing Corp. and Charles Bartlett.

Prince Magician makes his second start after finishing fourth of five when 14-1 in his Sept. 6 debut. Owned by Granja Mexico and trainer Hector Palma, the gray is a son of Cairo Prince and the Dixie Union mare Dixie Dawn. He earned $2,400 in his bow.

Side Street Dave comes off a win against $50,000 state bred maidens Aug. 25 for trainer Gary Sherlock.

Owned by a partnership that includes Tom London, Eugene Zondlo and breeder Terry Lovingier, the Governor Charlie colt out of the Street Cry mare Jolly Days is 1-for-5 with a bankroll of $36,451.

From inside out, the field for the 1st Capote Stakes: Side Street Dave, Abel Cedillo rides, 120 pounds: Hydrogen, Joe Talamo, 118; Tap Back, Ruben Fuentes, 122; Georgian Road, J.C. Diaz, 120; Prince Magician, Eswan Flores, 118; Dapper, Geovanni Franco, 122 and Raging Whiskey, Rafael Bejarano, 122.