SINGLES CRUISE A COMPETITIVE FIFTH IN LOS ALAMITOS

Singles Cruise broke well and was a solid second for most of the race, but was overtaken at the finish line by three other horses in the $125,000 John Deere Juvenile Classic Championship at the Los Alamitos Race Course near Los Angeles Saturday night.

Owned by Janice and Barry Sather of Beaverlodge, the two-year-old went into the California race - part of the Bank Of America Challenge - after dominating in Alberta this year.

The California-bred won three out of four races in Grande Prairie at The Horses At Evergreen Park including the Evergreen Park Juvenile Challenge on August 19; the Jerry Stojan Memorial Stakes on July 27; and the Jerry Stojan Memorial Futurity Trial on July 8. On August 4 she was third in the EP Juvenile Challenge Trial.

She has won five of seven races she competed in during her first year of racing finishing up the summer at the Rocky Mountain Turf Club in Lethbridge where, on Oct. 6, she was first in the Canada Cup Futurity Trial following that up with a win in the Canada Cup finale on October 21.

Going into Saturday's race Singles Cruises’ had earned almost $70,000.

She helped the Sathers pocket $7,500 for the fifth place in Los Alamitos.

Before the gate opened Singles Cruise was rated at 18/1 and lined up in the No. 2 slot to the right of favorite Kr Hi Five, who won the 350 yard race in 17.670.

Singles Cruise chased the winner in second for almost 325 yards before being caught by runner-up Stevieb Flashcash (17.793) and Jess Send It and Allyson Wonderland, who finished in a dead heat for third at 17.813

Singles Cruise, with jockey Saul Ramirez Jr. aboard, finished in 17.670 in the nine-horse field.

Another horse that competed at the Horses At Evergreen Park this past summer also raced at Los Alamitos Saturday - in the $100,000 Cox Ranch Distance Challenge Championship over 870 yards.

Glittering Blue, owned by Cody Eagle Bear and ridden by E. Gomez, was up against five other horses in that race and finished sixth.