LOS ALAMITOS : Then She Blew Away Her Rivals

Lil Eggie’s impressive victory in the $19,500 Breeders Championship last Thursday night was nothing to sneeze at.

But a sneeze almost cost Lil Eggie her best chance to win the trotting stake for 4-year-old California-bred mares.

In the Breeders Championship, Lil Eggie had the benefit of the inside post for the mile trot. As the field got underway, Sacrify and Indeedido took the early lead, Lil Eggie settling into third.

Rounding the first turn, Lil Eggie appeared slightly rough-gaited, nearly breaking stride.

“She sneezed in the first turn and almost made a break,” trainer-driver Frank Sherren said. “I’ve never had a horse do that in a race before.”

Lil Eggie recovered quickly and held her position until the turn for home. Then she passed the tiring leaders and finished 2 1/2 lengths ahead. The winning time for the Sacramento filly was 2:04 3/5 over a good track.

Lil Eggie, owned by Jim and Virginia Bagatelos and Ann Sherren, Frank’s mother, has had an impressive meeting since winning her qualifying race on Dec. 23. She won again on Dec. 30, and a week later finished second by a nose to Gotcha Spirit after encountering some early interference.

Her final start before the Breeders Championship caused some concern, however, as Lil Eggie jumped off stride near the half, finishing last in the seven-horse field. Sherren attributes Lil Eggie’s poor performance that night to the rain and the sloppy track.

“With trotters, especially, the track is important because of their gait,” he said. “(Lil Eggie) doesn’t like the mud.”

Sherren calls Lil Eggie a natural trotter, meaning she doesn’t wear special shoes or weights to help her maintain her gait.

But based on her performances as a 2- and 3-year-old, Lil Eggie’s stakes victory as a 4-year-old should come as no surprise. She has been a solid stakes competitor and has amassed a bankroll of $63,375.

She also has a solid trotting background. Her sire, Sacramento, is one of the top trotting sires in the nation, and her dam, the Square Deal mare White Nest Egg, has produced two California champions.

Eggwhite, a 5-year-old sister of Lil Eggie, was California’s filly of the year twice before being retired to the breeding shed this year. An older half brother, Googie, by Big Sur, was also a top California trotter and was named horse of the year twice during his campaign.

Sherren, who also trained Eggwhite, is often asked to compare the sisters. He says the similarities are remarkable.

In Eggwhite’s debut as a 2-year-old, he said, she set a track record of 2:02 2/5 at Sacramento. In Lil Eggie’s first race, also at Sacramento, she broke her sibling’s record, trotting the mile in 2:02 1/5.

“Both, as far as the barn area is concerned, are perfect,” he added. “They’re perfect horses to be around.”

But there are some differences.

“Lil Eggie can do a lot more in a horse race,” he said. “You can use her early and she can still get home. This filly is a lot more versatile.”

Sherren gives Lil Eggie a good chance of winning the $30,460 Electioneer Futurity Thursday night. Lil Eggie will race many of the same horses she beat last week, including Sacrify and Indeedido.

This time, though, she won’t have the advantage of the inside post. She will be starting from the fifth position in the eight-horse field.

Los Alamitos Notes

River City Sur won the $18,000 Breeders Championship for 4-year-old colts last Thursday. Driven by James Grundy for trainer Joe Lighthill, River City Sur trotted the mile in 2:01 2/5, winning his second consecutive race. . . . Doitforlinda, who recently finished fourth in the Rising Star, narrowly won the $20,000 Breeders Championship for 4-year-old mares Friday night, beating Pip’s Jolly Joann by a head. With Lou Pena handling the reins for owner Lonnie Beck, Doitforlinda completed the mile pace in 2:04 3/5 over a sloppy track.

Maxanali, a 9-2 outsider, pulled off a slight upset in the Breeders Championship for 4-year-old California-bred colts last Saturday night. Pacing the mile in 1:57 2/5, Maxanali defeated highly regarded Phred and Tall Order, winning his first start at Los Alamitos this meeting after finishing fifth and eighth earlier in the year. The Rick Plano trainee is owned by Robert Dellas and Maryann Plano, Rick’s wife.