Sunday, February 22, 2026 | Los Alamitos, California

Los Alamitos runs a short but sharp Sunday night card under the lights in Southern California — only three thoroughbred races on the card, all on dirt, and all delivering genuine betting opportunities. The races are tight, the fields are competitive, and the evening atmosphere at Los Al is unlike any other track in the country. Let’s find the winners.

Race 2 — 4.5 Furlongs on Dirt | Claiming $5,000 | 3 & up

Purse: $11,000 | Post: 6:08 PM PT

A six-horse field opens the Los Alamitos card in a claiming sprint for the older males, and one horse stands out at the top of the projected figures while offering a very appealing morning line price.

Top Three Contenders:

Littlebrotherjoey (PP 3, 5/1) leads this field on projected speed figures by a meaningful margin and opens at a generous morning line price for a horse sitting at the top of the field. Trainer G. Vallejo and jockey F. Orduna-Rojas are a familiar and effective Los Alamitos combination — these two know this oval well and know how to win at this level. From the three post in a short sprint, he gets an ideal setup to break clean and set or stalk the pace. At 5/1 for the field leader, this is outstanding overlay value.

Elegant Life (PP 6, 8/1) and Naval Harbor (PP 2, 5/2) are tied on projected figures for second in this field. Naval Harbor opens as the morning line second choice and gets jockey A.L. Bautista taking the 5-pound bug allowance — a meaningful weight edge in a short sprint. Trainer A. Ruvalcaba keeps horses sharp at Los Al. Elegant Life opens at 8/1 for a horse projecting equal to the favorite at 5/2 — that price gap is the definition of an overlay. Trainer H.I. Rubin and jockey L. Camacho-Flores give her a capable foundation. Both deserve exacta consideration, but Naval Harbor gets the slight nod for third given the weight advantage.

Longshot to Watch:

Details Matter (PP 4, 2/1) opens as the morning line favorite at 2/1 but projects fourth on speed figures — a significant disconnect between the public price and the projected performance. Trainer J. Farias and jockey E. Payeras are capable, but the gap between his projected figure and the top three is real. He may be a mild fade for the win play. Meanwhile, Honeymoon Suite (PP 5, 7/2) is fifth on projected figures but only a jockey bug allowance separates her connections — jockey P.E. Castillo takes 7 pounds off in a tight field, making her a true wild card in the trifecta at 7/2.

Best Bet: Win on Littlebrotherjoey at 5/1 — the best overlay on the evening card. Exacta 3/6,2. Trifecta 3/6,2/6,2,4. Also consider a small win bet on Elegant Life at 8/1 for maximum value — projecting second while opening at a big price is exactly the spot to attack.

Race 3 — 4.5 Furlongs on Dirt | Claiming $3,200 | Fillies & Mares 3 & up

Purse: $9,000 | Post: 6:36 PM PT

A seven-horse field of fillies and mares at the $3,200 claiming level, and one horse stands well clear of the competition on projected figures while opening at a very reasonable morning line price.

Top Three Contenders:

Cioppina Pasadina (PP 1, 2/1) leads this field with the top projected speed figure by a clear and comfortable margin. She opens as the morning line favorite at 2/1 — a fair price for a horse this dominant over her field — and draws the rail post in a 4.5-furlong sprint. At Los Alamitos, a clean break from the one post in a short sprint can put a horse on the lead immediately with no traffic concerns. Trainer C.S. Treece and jockey C. Ortega are a well-established Los Alamitos pairing who know exactly how to win at this track. She’s the confident play here and the anchor of every ticket.

Dallas Alice (PP 4, 7/2) is second on projected figures and opens at a fair morning line price. Trainer O. Heredia and jockey F. Orduna-Rojas give her a capable team — the same jockey piloting the top choice in Race 2, showing his versatility across the card. She’s the logical exacta partner and the most obvious threat to the top pick.

Maggie’s Faye (PP 5, 6/1) and Surf Star (PP 7, 5/1) are tied on projected figures for third in this field. Surf Star opens at the better price and trainer H.I. Rubin — who also conditions Elegant Life in Race 2 — is clearly placing horses effectively tonight. Jockey P.E. Castillo takes the 7-pound bug allowance on Surf Star, the same advantage he carries in Race 2. That weight edge in a short sprint is significant. Surf Star gets the nod for third at 5/1 with the bug allowance boost.

Longshot to Watch:

Conquest Celsius (PP 6, 5/1) is fifth on projected figures and opens at 5/1 — trainer A.M. Aquino places horses quietly and effectively in these overnight claiming races at Los Al. At 5/1 she deserves a trifecta slot for the ticket builder looking for a touch of value underneath the top three.

Best Bet: Win on Cioppina Pasadina — she’s the banker of the Los Alamitos card. Exacta 1/4,7. Trifecta 1/4,7/4,7,6. The top horse is so dominant here that singling her and spreading underneath is the highest-confidence approach of the evening.

Race 5 — 2.5 Furlongs on Dirt | Claiming $5,000 | Fillies & Mares 3 & up

Purse: $11,000 | Post: 7:32 PM PT

The nightcap at Los Alamitos is a lightning-fast 2.5-furlong dash for the fillies and mares — the shortest race distance you’ll find anywhere in American thoroughbred racing. At this distance, projected speed and a clean break out of the gate are everything. One horse stands clearly at the top.

Top Three Contenders:

Run Auntie T Run (PP 4, 2/1) leads this six-horse field on projected speed figures by a clear margin and opens as the morning line favorite at a fair price. Trainer J.J. Uranga is a Los Alamitos fixture who understands the nuances of the ultra-short sprint distance, and jockey S.R. Vargas taking the 5-pound bug allowance gives an added weight edge in a race where every fraction of a second matters. From the four post in a 2.5-furlong sprint, a clean break is essential — and this combination has the experience to deliver it. She’s the top choice without hesitation.

Storm d’Oro (PP 3, 4/1) is second on projected figures and opens at a very fair morning line price. Trainer J. Nunez has runners entered tonight and jockey F. Orduna-Rojas is having an active and effective evening at Los Al. From the three post, he’s ideally positioned right next to the leader and could apply immediate pressure or get a ground-saving trip depending on the early pace. He’s the most logical exacta partner.

Promise Me Kat (PP 6, 3/1) rounds out the top three on projected figures and opens as the morning line second choice — making her slightly undervalued at 3/1 given that she projects third rather than second. Trainer G. Vallejo and jockey A. Escobedo give her a capable foundation from the outside post. In a 2.5-furlong sprint, the outside post is rarely a serious disadvantage — these races are over before post position matters much.

Longshot to Watch:

Golden and Blue (PP 5, 4/1) is fourth on projected figures at a fair price. Trainer A. Flores places this type of filly effectively at Los Al claiming level and jockey E. Payeras is comfortable at this distance. In a six-horse sprint at 2.5 furlongs, the difference between first and fourth in projected figures is measured in fractions — the slightest hesitation at the break can scramble the entire outcome. Golden and Blue at 4/1 is absolutely worth a trifecta slot and possibly a small win bet if you’re looking for a live longshot to close the night.

Best Bet: Win on Run Auntie T Run. Exacta 4/3,6. Trifecta 4/3,6/3,6,5. At a 2.5-furlong distance, consider a Pick 3 rolling from Race 3 through Race 5 using Cioppina Pasadina and Run Auntie T Run as anchors — two strong favorites with the race’s best projected figures back-to-back.

Los Alamitos Best Bets Summary

Strongest Win Plays:

• Cioppina Pasadina — Race 3 (2/1) — dominant field leader, banker of the evening card

• Run Auntie T Run — Race 5 (2/1) — tops the nightcap sprint, bug allowance adds extra edge

• Littlebrotherjoey — Race 2 (5/1) — leads Race 2 on projected figures while the market undervalues him

Best Value Plays:

• Littlebrotherjoey — Race 2 (5/1) — field leader opening at a genuine overlay price, best value bet of the night

• Elegant Life — Race 2 (8/1) — tied for second on projected figures at a massive price premium over her co-competitor

• Golden and Blue — Race 5 (4/1) — fourth on figures in a 2.5-furlong race where a single bad step reshuffles the entire outcome

Prime Exacta Spots:

• Race 3: Cioppina Pasadina over Dallas Alice — clear field leader with a logical partner underneath

• Race 2: Littlebrotherjoey over Elegant Life — field leader into the big price overlay

• Race 5: Run Auntie T Run over Storm d’Oro / Promise Me Kat — top choice in the nightcap dash

The Pick 3 of the Evening: Roll Races 3, 4 (if applicable), and 5 using Cioppina Pasadina and Run Auntie T Run as the backbone. Two dominant figures horses in back-to-back races at Los Al is the kind of sequence you build an evening’s ticket strategy around.

A Note on Tonight’s Racing: Los Alamitos is a unique venue — short distances, tight turns, and a night racing atmosphere that creates its own rhythm. The projected figures here reflect horses who know this oval and run best under these specific conditions. Trainer-jockey familiarity with the Los Alamitos circuit is a meaningful edge, and tonight the combinations backing Cioppina Pasadina and Littlebrotherjoey deliver exactly that. Enjoy the races under the Southern California lights.

That’s your Los Alamitos Sunday evening card — three sharp races and outstanding betting opportunities from the first gate to the final wire. Aces and Races is for entertainment and informational purposes. Please bet responsibly.

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