It Could Be Special Night

Special Queen Sa, the fastest qualifier, is among 10 3-year-olds scheduled to go in tonight’s $197,450 Golden State Derby.

A Grade I at 400 yards, the Golden State Derby is the eighth of 10 races.

Owned by Gianni Franco Samaja and trained by Carlos Lopez, Special Queen Sa, a daughter of Strawfly Special, won her second in a row in her trial Aug. 1. Beating Morning Snow by half a length, she completed the distance in 19.81 seconds.

Morning Snow, the winner of the 2002 Kindergarten and the Ed Burke Memorial Futurity, was making her first start since November and should improve off the race for trainer Donna McArthur. Sam Thompson has the mount on the Texas-bred, who has been first or second in seven of eight races.

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The picks: 1. Ready For Island. 2. Traffic Attraction. 3. Winsome Miss. 4. All The Law Allows. 5. Fairly Fasty. 6. Bonzai Barry. 7. Fortheloveofyou. 8. Morning Snow. 9. Highly Conceited. 10. Chriswell.

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Four! Use Fortheloveofyou, First Payboy and She Doll in the seventh, single Morning Snow in the eighth, Highly Conceited and Expo Express in the ninth and Go Sharp, Watching The Pie, Chriswell, The Notary and Chicks Elegance in the 10th.

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Shots in the dark: Lamalegacy makes debut in a soft spot for trainer Jesus Nunez in the first. Rare Henna could improve with a race behind her for trainer Zvi Kriple in the third.

Post Time: 6:45 p.m.

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