LOS ALAMITOS : The Money Crunch Wins Breeders Distaff

The Money Crunch scored an easy victory in the $27,870 Breeders Distaff Classic on Saturday night during the ninth annual Breeders Classics Championship at Los Alamitos.

Ridden by Joe Badilla, Jr. for trainer Danny Mitchell, Margaret Leard’s The Money Crunch led the eighth race on the 14-race card from wire to wire, winning by 1 1/4 lengths in a time of 19.82 seconds for the 400 yards.

The 4-year-old mare, who earlier had won the Miss Princess and Lancaster Handicaps and was second in the Las Damas and Mildred Vessels Memorial Handicaps, was favored in the 10-horse field, paying $3.80 to win on Saturday.

In other races, longshot Hi Tech Attack scored an upset victory in the first division of the $20,990 Breeders Sophomore Classic.

Ridden by jockey Gary Boag, Hi Tech Attack raced to a half-length victory in the Grade II stake, earning $9,370 for owners Roberta Duarte and Julie Farr.

“He’s a nice colt and he’s always had a lot of run,” trainer Curtis Olijar said of Hi Tech Attack. “He just gets better and better every time.”

In the fourth race, seven horses contested the $22,025 Breeders Classics Derby, with Easy Rollin Ryon edging Perfectly for the victory.

Easy Rollin Ryon is owned by Bill Thompson, who is better known for owning leading older horse Avison.

“Avison has made it a really fun year, but this little guy is kind of a nice perk,” said Thompson.

Easy Rollin Ryon, trained by Connie Hall, earned his first victory of 1995 and his first in a stakes competition.

In all, 10 major quarter-horse stakes were run on the card.