Preview Racing


Futurity Winners Wave Her Down, Wicked Affair And Powerful Favorite Head Golden State Million Trials
Ed Burke Million Futurity(G1) winner Wave Her Down will be among 78 juveniles that will compete in the Grade 1 Golden State Million Futurity here on Sunday night at Los Alamitos Race Course.

© Scott Martinez
Futurity Winners Wave Her Down, Wicked Affair And Powerful Favorite Head Golden State Million Trials

LOS ALAMITOS, CA—OCTOBER 21, 2018—Jeff and Kim Pitcher’s Wave Her Down, Legacy Ranch Inc’s Wicked Affair and Rosenthal Ranch’s Powerful Favorite, a trio of graded futurity winners at Los Alamitos, are among the 78 juveniles that will compete in the 400-yard trials to the Grade 1 Golden State Million Futurity here tonight (Sunday).

A total of 10 trials are on tap with the horses with the 10 fastest times advancing to the lucrative final to be held on Sunday, November 4.

As of now, Wave Her Down is the meet’s top money earning 2-year-old thanks to her victory in the Grade 1 Ed Burke Million Futurity on June 24. She earned $428,400 thanks to that 350-yard victory, which was her third in a row to start her racing career. Surprisingly, the daughter of First Down Dash ran a disappointing race in her return to action in the trials to the Grade 2 PCQHRA Breeders Futurity on September 15. A full sister to champions Wave Carver and Ocean Runaway, Wave Her Down broke a bit slow and never got going on the way to running fourth in that trial race.

"She broke a tad tardy," owner Jeff Pitcher said. "Cody had to grab a hold of her because she was a little afraid of the other horses around her. Hopefully for this next race she’ll get a better break. It’s tough to swallow when your horse has a race like that, but you take the good with the bad. The highs are high and the lows are low, but that’s just part of racing. You always want to have the best trip and sometimes you don’t get it. Hopefully she steps back to the plate on Sunday night and has a nice race."

Wave Her Down entered the PCQHRA Breeders trial after a nearly 90 day break.

"We felt she was too ready (last time out)," Pitcher said. "She was too ‘happy’ in the paddock. I hope she is not as high (strung) on Sunday. Hopefully she’s slowed down a little bit with more training."

Cody Jensen will ride Wave Her Down for trainer Paul Jones in the eighth of 10 trials on Sunday. She’ll enter the race with three wins from four career starts and total earnings of $435,415.

Ed Allred’s Chocolatito, a colt by Favorite Cartel who posted a 1 ¾ length maiden victory in his last start, is among the top contenders in the eighth race. Vinnie Bednar will be aboard the Steve Burns-bred runner from post four.

In the fourth trial, Wicked Affair will be making her first start since her runner-up effort to Wave Her Down in the Ed Burke Million final and she’s drawn a salty field that includes Governor’s Cup Futurity winner Powerful Favorite and Ed Burke Million third place finisher Jess Macho Corona. Trained by Terry Knight, Wicked Affair won the Grade 2, $322,000 Robert Adair Kindergarten Futurity at 300 yards on May 20 and three of her five career starts.

"The six weeks off (since the Ed Burke) for Wicked Affair gave her time to put on some weight," said Pete Parrella of Legacy Ranch. "She’s about 75 pounds stronger now. Terry Knight and his staff did a great job with her. We think the 400 yards is a plus for Wicked Affair."

Leading Quarter Horse rider Jesus Rios Ayala will pilot the One Sweet Jess filly, who enters this race after posting a 350-yard gate work on September 25.

"The work by Wicked Affair was outstanding," Parrella added. "She had a little trouble at the start but still worked in :17.70. It was impressive. We also have (Ed Burke Million finalist) Mister Appolitical in the trials. He’s also doing well and we’re looking for a big effort from both of them. There are a lot of good 2-year-olds running in the trials. We can’t make any mistakes."

Eduardo Nicasio will ride Powerful Favorite from post number one in this trial for trainer Chris O’Dell. The gelding by Favorite Cartel beat the O’Dell trained Favorite Wise Lady by a neck in the Governor’s Cup on July 28 and also competed in the Ed Burke Million final earlier this year. He’s posted a pair of turn-and-works in preparation for this trial race. Turner Farms’ Jess Macho Corona was the surprise package in the Ed Burke, challenging the leaders throughout at 17-1 odds. The Paul Jones-trainee traveled to Ruidoso Downs from there and finished third in a trial to the All American Futurity at 440 yards. He returned to Los Alamitos to easily win an allowance race on September 30. Jensen gets the call.

In addition to the three California futurity winners, the trials will also feature La Feliz Montana Ranch LLC’s Lethal Lil, a finalist to the Grade 1 Rainbow Futurity at Ruidoso Downs, and J. Garvan Kelly, Nancy Yearsley, and J.L. Yother’s Symbol Of Faith, a finalist to the Grade 1 Heritage Place Futurity at Remington Park.

Lethal Lil was second across the wire in the Rainbow, but was disqualified and placed last due to interference. The Corona Cartel filly competed in the West Texas Futurity at Sunland Park earlier this year and now starts in the fifth trial of the night.

Meanwhile, Symbol Of Faith posted an allowance win in her last start and now heads the 10th and final trial while facing Richard Frandsen’s Favorite Motion, who debuted with a promising daylight victory on August 24 before running out of the money last month.

Here’s a quick rundown of the other six trials on Sunday:

  • Race 1: Dr. Steve Burns’ Tequila Sangria debuted with an impressive 1 ¾ length victory on September 28 and now returns to face Ed Burke Million fourth place finisher Dexxter and Ed Burke Million tenth place finisher Apollitical Pence.

  • Race 2: Evenly matched group is headed by Governor’s Cup Futurity third place finisher You Caught My Eye and PCQHRA Breeders Futurity finalist Red Hawk Cartel.

  • Race 3: Scott Bryant’s Flash And Roll makes his Los Alamitos debut after racing at Ruidoso Downs, where he qualified to the Grade 1 Ruidoso Futurity. Majestic Mr Perry, a winner in his PCQHRA Breeders Futurity trial before being scratched out of the final, will also be in action in this heat.

  • Race 6: Parsons Family Limited Partnership’s Terrific First Down has recorded runaway victories in her last two outings, but this is her first start at a distance of more than 300 yards. The field also includes the previously mentioned Ed Burke Million finalist Mister Appolitical.

  • Race 7: Cesar Dabdoub’s Ali Babe Foose won the Ed Burke Memorial Juvenile back in June (the consolation stakes of the Ed Burke Million) and then qualified to the PCQHRA Breeders Futurity. He’ll be dealing with Ruidoso invader One Ruthless Eagle and Ed Burke Memorial participants BF Farmhand and Kates Bowtie. Transcend is another one to watch based on his strong maiden win two races ago.

  • Race 9: Governor’s Cup Futurity runner-up Favorite Wise Lady followed that effort with a strong finish to win an allowance race on September 21. She heads this trial and 400 yards should be to her liking. Purty Fancy Dude, third in the PCQHRA Breeders Futurity, and Kindergarten Futurity finalists Ms Ko and Fast Amanda Rose are among the other top contenders. Corona By Corona, who has hit the board in four of his six starts, is another one to watch.

Courtesy of www.losalamitos.com.