LOS ALAMITOS, CA—SEPTEMBER 1, 2017—Ed Allred’s Bound To Bet impressed once again around the turn, as the Snowbound gelding improved his record to a perfect three for three at the 870-yard distance following his victory in the $18,000 Truly A Pleasure Handicap on Friday at Los Alamitos.

Ridden by Gary Boag for trainer Scott Willoughby, Bound To Bet took the lead right from the start and never looked back on the way to scoring a three length victory in a super 870-yard clocking of :44.90. His time was just shy of the meet’s fastest clocking set by Rule He Will of :44.569 in early January.

The Allred-homebred Bound To Bet has been a star since stretching his legs in distance races at the beginning of his sophomore campaign on June 30. Out of the Tr Dasher mare Bet She Flys, Bound to Bet won his sophomore debut around the turn by 1-¼ lengths on June 30 and then scored a 4 ½ length allowance win at this distance on August 11.

When the gates opened in the Truly A Pleasure, he quickly opened up a two length lead and by the time he was around the turn he had a six-length lead. It was game over for his older rivals at that point.

"We needed to break really well and get in front," Willoughby said. "When he broke and some of the others didn’t, he had pretty easy sailing to get to the rail. He got lucky and got out in front. The horse is coming into himself and being the only 3-year-old he really showed me a lot tonight. He has a lot of talent and a little more left. I think he’ll make a nice 870 horse."

Bound To Bet cruised from there on the way to earning the first place share of the purse of $9,900. That figure increased his career earnings to $26,045. Winless in straight away races during his freshman campaign, Bound To Bet posted 660-yard works prior to his distance debut on May 30 and June 17.

"He’s such a big colt that he wasn’t able to get away from them going short," said Willoughby, who welcomed Bound To Bet to his barn for the first time after the end of the gelding’s 2-year-old campaign. "We decided to stretch him out and that has worked out well."

Keith Craigmyle and Paul Lewis’ Miss Loujean earned $4,050 for her second place finish in this race. The 6-year-old mare came into this race after an out of the money finish at Del Mar on August 26. She’s finished in the top two 18 times in her 41-race career. Vinnie Bednar piloted the Thoroughbred mare by Unusual Heat.

Aiming Straight, Stretch, Kismet, and Prophetinparadise completed the field.

Courtesy of www.losalamitos.com.