Pure D Cool Is the Favorite in Avison

After losing by a nose at 83-1 to Chiarascuro in the California Challenge Championship on June 1, Pure D Cool will be a considerably shorter price tonight in the $15,000 Avison Handicap.

A 4-year-old gelding trained by Connie Hall for owner Rancho Davalos, Pure D Cool has only won once in 18 starts, but he nearly pulled the major upset four weeks ago. Finishing a head behind him was the well-regarded Dashing Knud.

Stretching to 550 yards in the Avison, the eighth of nine races on the card, Pure D Cool is the 9-5 favorite and will again be ridden by Carlos Bautista.

In the preceding race, Ddf De Great Saiga will try for her sixth consecutive victory in the $15,000 Prissy Fein Handicap at 350 yards.

The picks: 1. Good To Be King. 2. Stamp N’ Pirate. 3. Lucky Red Hot. 4. Ghaffir. 5. Corona Man. 6. Mucho Caliente. 7. Ddf De Great Saiga. 8. Pure D Cool. 9. A Blurr.

Four! Use Good To Be King and Straw Poll in the first, use Stamp N’ Pirate and Fat Tuesday in the second, Lucky Red Hot and Sheza Easy Pleaser in the third and Ghaffir and the entry of Unknown Dame-Home Bird in the fourth.

Shots in the dark: Sheza Easy Pleaser drops in class in the third in her first start outside Ruidoso. Rustys Quickid lost all chance in her latest and could be the one to surprise in the seventh.

Post time: 5:30 p.m.

On the Net: For entries and results from Los Alamitos, visit: www.latimes.com/horseracing/