Bayer Challenge Shaping Up as a Two-Horse Race

John Sperry’s Inthetwinkleofaneye and Ronnie and Ron Keller’s Ronnie Jace should go off as the front-runners in tonight’s $42,210 Bayer Legend California Derby Challenge.

Inthetwinkleofaneye has won seven of 16 starts. Ronnie Jace will be after his seventh victory in 16 starts. The winner of the Derby will be eligible to compete in the MBNA America Racing Challenge on Nov. 2 at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, Texas.

Los Alamitos horses who have earned berths in the America Racing Challenge are Chiarascuro, Classic Sassy Chic, Sterling Sport and Royal Dip. The winner of the Professional’s Choice California Claiming Challenge, which went off late Friday night, also earned a berth.

The picks: 1. Victory Red, 2. All Sorts of Fast, 3. Be Bop Buzz, 4. Tiki Arbi, 5. Resist, 6. Driver’s Seat, 7. Bys Bug, 8. Royal Miracle Dip, 9. Pecos Chicks, 10. Inthetwinkleofaneye, 11. Kid Charismatic.

Four: Royal Miracle Dip and Strawberry Dash in the eighth and claimers Pecos Chicks and Oswald Higgs in the ninth. No surprise in the 10th, take Ronnie Jace and Inthetwinkleofaneye. In the 11th, it is 5-2 favorite A Flyer and 8-1 longshot Make A Rare Run.

Shots in the dark: On a night filled with many first-timers, Little Miss Aegean makes her debut in the first after a good showing in workouts. Make A Rare Run is coming off a victory and faces lesser claimers in the 11th.

Post time: 6:15 p.m.

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