LOS ALAMITOS : My Debut Closes Meet With Victory

Favored My Debut earned his biggest victory to date in the 24th running of the $250,000 Champion of Champions on Sunday, closing night at Los Alamitos.

My Debut, a 4-year-old gelding owned by C.R. Potts, was heralded as the next up-and-coming star when he arrived at Los Alamitos in August. Since then, the Texas-bred gelding has won all five of his starts, including the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Invitational Championship, Chicado V Handicap, Lakeside Handicap, and now the Grade 1 Champion of Champions.

Ridden by Roman Figueroa, My Debut took the lead from the start of the 440-yard race and never relinquished it, crossing the wire half a length in front of Pies Royal Request. Ronas Sound finished a head behind in third.

My Debut paid $6.20 to win, $5 to place and $3.20 to show. Pies Royal Request, a 10-1 outsider, paid $8.80 and $7.20, while Ronas Sound paid $3.20 to show.

“He started right out of there,” trainer Blane Schvaneveldt said of My Debut. “Ronas Sound and Seals wiped each other out, but he broke right out of there and kept going.”

The victory was a record ninth in the Champion of Champions for Schvaneveldt, who had four entrants in the race. He also saddled the favored entry of Ronas Sound and Refrigerator, who finished third and eighth, and Seals, who never recovered after breaking slow and bumping with Ronas Sound to finish last. Schvaneveldt has won the last four Champion of Champions and also captured the race in 1978, 1980, 1985, 1987 and 1990.