Childers Has Two Claims to This Race

Spencer Childers, a member of the American Quarter Horse Racing Assn. Hall of Fame who has been involved in the sport for more than 50 years, has always presented the winner’s trophy after the race at Los Alamitos that bears his name.

A fixture on the track’s calendar since 1993, the $159,250 Spencer Childers California Breeders’ Championship is one of three Grade I races on tonight’s California Champions program.

He’s still going strong at 92, but Childers might need a replacement tonight. After all, a person can’t present a trophy to himself. And Be A Bono, a 3-year-old gelding Childers bred and owns, is the even-money favorite on Ed Burgart’s morning line in the 400-yard race.

Trained by Dan Francisco, Be A Bono, unbeaten in six starts, will be racing older horses for the first time.

“I certainly think he’s one of the best horses we’ve ever had,” said Childers, who has owned and bred countless stakes winners. “We still don’t know how good he is. We’ll find out more about him in this race.”

Be A Bono, a son of Bono Jazz, was offered for sale as a yearling. There were no takers, so Childers bought him back for $3,500.

Thanks mostly to victories in the $864,850 Golden State Futurity on Oct. 31 and the $200,000 Los Alamitos Winter Derby in his most recent outing Feb. 27, Be A Bono has already earned $441,227. The Golden State score was the richest ever for Childers.

“Be A Bono is certainly very unusual,” said Childers. “You don’t have one like him come around too often.

“It was his sire’s first crop and people didn’t think too much of him. We gelded him pretty early, not because of his disposition -- he has a beautiful disposition -- but because we wanted Bono Jazz to have a runner and we thought Be A Bono had a better chance as a gelding.”

G.R. Carter, who has been aboard Be A Bono for his three most recent victories, will ride him again tonight. If Be A Bono is to win again, he’ll have to outrun Dealadash, Bobcat Bob, Pats Charming Guy, Deefirst, the 9-5 second choice, and Brian Dasher.

Should Be A Bono remain perfect, it will make for an interesting winner’s circle.

“Doc [Ed] Allred [the owner and president of Los Alamitos] must have thought I was on my last legs when he named this race after me,” Childers said “He probably didn’t think I’d be around by this time.”

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The two other Grade I races on the 13-race card are the $120,000 Governor’s Cup Derby for 3-year-olds at 400 yards and the $334,000 Governor’s Cup Futurity for 2-year-olds at 350 yards.

The field for the Derby includes five horses trained by Paul Jones, including Well I Never, the fastest qualifier in the June 5 trials.

Jones will also be represented by Awise Chick, Theretischemistry, Honor And Cherish and Metallic Lion. If Metallic Lion wins, he’ll become the sixth horse to have won both the Governor’s Cup Futurity and the Governor’s Cup Derby.

In the Futurity, Separate Secrets, who has won all three of his starts for Dutch Masters III and trainer Jaime Gomez, is among 10 scheduled to run.

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Twice As Bad, who won the Lazaro Barrera Memorial impressively in his California debut May 29, and Snow Chief Stakes winner Cheiron head the field in the $100,000 Affirmed Handicap today at Hollywood Park. A Grade III at 1 1/16 miles, the Affirmed is a prep for the $400,000 Swaps Stakes on July 10.

Owned by Mercedes Stable LLC and trained by Vladimir Cerin, Twice As Bad, a 3-year-old Stormy Atlantic colt, won two of 12 in Florida before being purchased privately, then won the Barrera after being on the sidelines for 5 1/2 months.

A California-bred son of Maria’s Mon trained by Kristin Mulhall for Noctis LLC, Neil Papiano and Steve Taub, Cheiron has won three of nine.

The eight other entrants in the Affirmed are Capitano, Hippocrates, Lindero, Coldntight, Wimplestiltskin, Boomzeeboom, who is also trained by Cerin; Vencer and O.K. Mikie.