his amazing career.The $180,000 Winter Challeng

The brief Los Alamitos Winter Thoroughbred meet winds down over the upcoming weekend with a race designed especially for 2014 Horse of the Year California Chrome as a prep for his final start in next months $12 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational, and as a fan farewell event for the state-bred hero who has stabled at Los Al for the majority of his amazing career.The $180,000 Winter Challenge Stakes drew a field of 12, two of those also-eligibles, with California Chrome slated to start on the outside in post position 10. Each of the starters are guaranteed at least $10,000 if they finish the race, which would seem to be the only plausible reason the connections of several of Chromes foes would have to contest what is shaping up like a 1-1/16-mile paid workout for the future Hall of Fame racehorse.As a celebration and a fond goodbye to Chrome from his Southern California fans, the Winter Challenge is a cant-miss event. But for those looking to turn a profit by wagering on Chrome on Saturday, its a certainty that even the payoffs for bets like the exacta and trifecta will be quite modest given that Chrome is practically a cinch to leave the gate at odds of 1-to-10.Eight of the nine other horses scheduled to start in the Winter Challenge exit optional-claiming or straight claiming races, the only exception being Longacres Mile winner Point Piper (#4), whose most recent start was a runner-up finish to Midnight Storm in the Native Diver Stakes. That Jerry Hollendorfer-trained 6-year-old is an honest horse who has hung tough against the likes of Dortmund and Effinex over the past year or so, and I figure Mario Gutierrez will be wise enough not to challenge Chrome through the early stages of the race and shoot for the runner-up check.Point Piper will probably be the second wagering choice at post time, and, with a $20 budget, I will include him underneath California Chrome in an $8 exacta. With the remaining $12, Ill select three other horses that should have longer odds and use them with Point Piper in a $1 trifecta in the second and third slots behind Chrome. Papacoolpapacool (#9) has made all but one of his 18 career starts on either turf or synthetic surfaces. The gelding has two stakes wins on turf, and like Point Piper, has shown the ability to fashion a decent closing kick with a good trip.The other two horses, Lucky J Lane (#6) and Avanti Bello (#7), also have some stakes experience, particularly Avanti Bello. That Doug ONeill-trained 4-year-old is probably the most consistent racehorse in the Winter Challenge aside from California Chrome, having finished in the top three in eight of his 11 starts this year.Betting strategy on a $20 budget $8 exacta: 10 with 4 $1 trifecta: 10 with 4,6,7,9 with 4,6,7,9 ($12)For more stories like this check out Americas Best Racing. Rennia Davis, a 6-foot-2 wing and the No. 12 prospect in the espnW HoopGurlz Top 100, announced Sunday that she has signed with Tennessee.The senior at Ribault (Jacksonville, Florida) signed her national letter of intent on Wednesday but kept it a secret.I woke up [Tuesday] morning, and throughout the day all I could think about was the color orange, Davis said. My top three choices came down to Kansas, Maryland and Tennessee. I also considered Oklahoma and Georgia Tech. I dont like to rush, so I took my time in the process, and Tennessee is my choice.Davis, who helped lead Ribault to a Florida state title as a junior, is, simply put, a gamer. She wants the ball in her hands at crunch time. And she knows what to do with it. Shes ultra-athletic with deep range and is explosive off the dribble. After winning the state title, Davis lifted Ribault to a national title at the Dicks Sporting Goods high school tournament at New Yorkks Madison Square Garden in April.dddddddddddd Davis scored 23 points in the final and was named MVP.To say shes off to a fast start this season would be an understatement. She was a steal short of a quadruple-double on Monday, finishing with 38 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists and nine steals. She followed that up with a 43-point game on Wednesday.Davis is the fourth member of Holly Warlicks class, which leapfrogs Connecticut and moves to the top of the class rankings. Davis joins No. 2 Evina Westbrook of South Salem (Oregon), No. 9 Anastasia Hayes of Riverdale (Murfreesboro, Tennessee) and No. 55 Kasiyahna Kushkituah of St. Francis (Alpharetta, Georgia).Yes, this was a difficult decision for me, one of those things that brings you into adulthood, Davis said. But, ultimately, it was my decision. ' ' '