LOS ALAMITOS : 3 Divisions of Opening Leg of Gold Series on Card for Tonight

They’ll be looking for gold three times tonight at Los Alamitos as 23 Cal-breds battle in three $5,000 divisions of the opening leg of the California Gold Series.

Cal-breds that were non-winners of $15,000 lifetime as of October are eligible for the series. The state-bred pacers will compete in three preliminary legs tonight, Dec. 27 and Jan. 3, with the top nine money earners coming back Jan. 10 for the $20,000 finale.

The three divisions of the first leg of the series are pretty evenly matched. Gold Run is a favorite in the first division-seventh race, Black N Spicy is favored in the second division-eighth race, and Red Star Baron from Canada is the top pick in the third division-ninth race.

The field, in post position order, for the $5,000 eighth race, tonight’s main attraction, is Endless Story, Mickey Difranco Jr. in the race bike; Black N Spicy, Peter Wrenn; Absolute Gem, Jim Lackey; Possible Spirit, Steve Desomer; Spicy Shawn Joseph, Rick Kuebler; Clos Du Val, Frank Sherren; Midnight Sun, Mark Silva; and Muscat Canelli, Gene Vallandingham.

David Elsner’s Black N Spicy, the son of Spicy Charlie from the barn of Robert Gordon, reeled off two straight wins in his comeback (he had been away from the races for nearly a year), then lost to Darkan Prince, who paced the fastest mile (1:55 3/5) of the meeting Saturday night.