Dashing Knud Tries for New Streak
After ending a four-race losing streak on April 28, Dashing Knud will try for a repeat in the first trial for the MBNA America California Challenge Championship tonight at Los Alamitos.
Winner of the Golden State Futurity and Los Alamitos Million as a 2-year-old in 2000, Dashing Knud won an allowance race in his second start of the year for trainer Danny Cardoza.
Set to break from the outside in the field of six, Dashing Knud will be ridden by Kenny Hart and is the 3-5 favorite.
In the second 440-yard trial, Chiarascuro is the 1-1 favorite against four opponents. The 4-year-old Chicks Beduino gelding was third behind Corona Kool and Hes My Dasher in the Los Alamitos Winter Championship in his last start on March 2. Ramon Sanchez will ride Chiarascuro, who has won three of 19.
The 10 fastest qualifiers--or all but one of the horses running in the two trials--will return for the MBNA Championship on June 1.
The picks: 1. Special Queen SA. 2. It Happens. 3. Loose Fly. 4. Wynhurst. 5. Priscillas New Doc. 6. Private Flyin. 7. Dashing Knud. 8. Chiarascuro. 9. Watch This Injun. 10. Sport Report.
Four! In the first, let’s use Special Queen SA, Betty Jean Hawkins and Splash Dot Dash; Zoras and It Happens in the second, single Loose Fly in the third and use the entry of Lord Triagain-Solongretsina and Wynhurst in the fourth.
Shots in the dark: BR Raceroni moves off the rail for trainer Chuck Treece in the ninth. Oh Just Lucky switches to jockey Joe Badilla Jr. in the 10th after breaking poorly in her first race in more than a year.
Post time: 7:15 p.m.
On the Net: For entries and results from Los Alamitos, visit: www.latimes.com/horseracing/