Quarter Horse Derby Trials to Run Tonight : Los Alamitos: Rambac looks good in his race. Shillings and Floozie Finder may have a battle.

Two divisions of the Southern California Derby Trials will be run at Los Alamitos Race Course tonight to determine the 10 finalists for the Nov. 18 final of the quarter horse meeting.

The Southern California Derby will be run on the closing night along with the $200,000 Champion of Champions. The Southern California Derby is restricted to 3-year-olds and is run over 440 yards.

The first trial is the seventh race. The field (in post position and jockey’s names): Challenger Seven, Roman Figueroa; Doctor Dobbs, Ron Carrasco; Rich Tactic, Juan Limon; California Dash, Kip Didericksen; City Band, Danny Cardoza; Making Merri, Joe Meier, and Rambac, John Creager.

Rambac is expected to be the favorite, having won four of five starts this year including the Golden State and El Primero Del Ano Derbies at Los Alamitos. In his last start, a ninth-place finish in the Pilgrim Handicap, he turned his head at the break.

Rambac is owned by David J. Payne of Salt Lake City and is trained by Connie Hall. Creager is the gelding’s regular rider. The horse has earned $485,625 and has won 11 of 21 career starts.

Challenger Seven, a Dash for Cash Derby finalist, should be his toughest competition. He is trained by Charles Bloomquist and has won one of his 11 starts this year. He was fourth in the PCRA Derby Sept. 8 at Los Alamitos.

The second division is the eighth race. The field: The Big Kahuna, Scott White; Lil Rebel Cash, Figueroa; Secret Meeting, Didericksen; Mary Bobbitt, Eddie Garcia; Final Flurry, Henry Garcia; Shillings, James Brooks; Floozie Finder, Kenny Hart, and Heres Happiness, Jim Lewis.

Shillings is one of the favorites in that race, having won the Paul Ford Memorial Handicap on Oct. 13. Shillings, however, is an 870-yard specialist with three wins, a second and third at that distance. She is a half-sister to champions Calyx and Florentine and is trained by Russell Harris.

Floozie Finder was a close second in the PCRA Derby but has since had trouble. He was fifth in a division of the California Sires Cup Derby and was third in a $7,000 allowance race.

Final Flurry was third in the Pilgrim Handicap on Oct. 21 behind Mito Native.