Ponderosa Ruby Seeking the Winning Touch

Ponderosa Ruby, who will make her fifth career start in tonight’s fifth race, holds a dubious and unofficial title.

Call the 2-year-old gray filly the biggest money burner of the meet.

In her first four races for owner Daniel Alvarez and trainer Jaime Gomez, the Louisiana-bred daughter of Royal Quick Dash has been beaten at 1-2, 5-2, 1-2 and 4-5.

She has run well in all of her outings, finishing second three times and third once.

Ponderosa Ruby will shorten to 220 yards tonight, the distance of her first race, and will be ridden by Rodrigo Aceves, the jockey in two of her starts.

The picks: 1. Tinys Royal Hugger. 2. Excessive Gossip. 3. Hurricane Juno. 4. Apollo Dash. 5. Red Hot Blitzer. 6. Dalkas. 7. Chicky Do Run Run. 8. Failure To Comply.

Four! Use Adriannas Cruisin, Ponderosa Ruby and Red Hot Blitzer in the fifth, Jace My Ace and Dalkas in the sixth, Chicky Do Run Run and Sheza Ramblin Too in the seventh and Failure To Comply, Contreras and Another Shooter in the eighth.

Shots in the dark: Dreams To Fill steps up after a claim in the first and switches to leading rider Ramon Sanchez. Zoneout adds Lasix in the second for trainer Blane Schvaneveldt.

Post time: 7:15 p.m.

On the Net: For entries and results from Los Alamitos, visit: www.latimes.com/horseracing/