Area Roundup : Rambac Favored in Burke Futurity

The $325,000 Ed Burke Futurity, the first major quarter horse race of the fall season, will be held Saturday night at the Los Alamitos Race Course.

The race, which has 10 of the top 2-year-olds, is part of an 11-race card that will begin at 7:30 p.m.

Rambac was the fastest qualifier in the trials two weeks ago and is considered the favorite. Rambac has six first-place finishes in 1988, including victories in the Governor’s Cup and Far West futurities, and a second in the Bay Meadows Futurity.

Liberty Choice might provide the toughest challenge to Rambac. Liberty Choice has won four of five races this year.

The remaining field includes: Streakin Idea, Mito Native, Zip Into Cash, Special Commander, Hot Blooded Hussy, Fols Snazzys Girl, Regard and Mysterious Cash.

Zip Into Cash was second in the Kindergarten Futurity this summer at Los Alamitos.

The Las Damas Handicap, the ninth race, brings out a full field of 3-year-olds and older fillies and mares. Mame Smashed and recent Inaugural Handicap winner Will Be Easy share high weight at 123 pounds.

Mame Smashed won the World Championship Quarter Horse Classic last July at Ruidoso Downs in New Mexico. Will Be Easy was second to Mame Smashed in the Quarter Horse Classic at Ruidoso.

Bruce Penhall, former two-time world speedway motorcycle champion, heads a list of retired riders who will compete at 8 tonight in “The Legends of Speedway” at the Orange County Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa.

Penhall won the 1981 world championship in England’s Wembley Stadium and then successfully defended his title the following season at the Coliseum before retiring. He is scheduled to meet the winner of the scratch main event in a four-lap match race.

Dennis Sigalos, co-winner of the World Best Pairs titles in 1981 and 1982, also will ride. Sigalos teamed with Penhall to win his first world title in Poland and then paired with Bobby Schwartz to win again in Australia.

Rick Woods, the national champion in 1970 and 1972, will meet Danny (Beserko) Becker in a match race and (Wild) Bill Cody will meet Sonny Nutter in another match race. Woods, Cody and Nutter helped to introduce the sport at Costa Mesa in 1969 and were fixtures on the 190-yard oval for 10 years.

The program will also serve as the final tuneup for the 1988 U.S. Championship scheduled Oct. 8 at the fairgrounds. Schwartz will be attempting to win his 14th scratch main event of the season.