LOS ALAMITOS, CA—NOVEMBER 24, 2019—Led by Ed Allred's homebred Nomadic, offspring by leading sire Favorite Cartel dominated 12 trials for the $1,903,272 Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity Sunday night at Los Alamitos Race Course.

Under jockey Vinnie Bendar, Ed Burke Juvenile Stakes winner Nomadic ran the best race of his career when he easily rolled past his opponents to win the 10th trial by 1-3/4 lengths to post the fastest qualifying mark of :19.675 seconds, equaling a 95 speed index.

Nomadic was the first of two qualifiers for Allred, Bednar and trainer Scott Willoughby who bookended Sunday's trials after Up And Atem won a shake with A Lucky Ladies Man to garner the 10th qualifying spot.

"His full brother (Circle City) can also really run," Allred said. "I kind of thought that (Nomadic) was the better of the two, and maybe he is the better of the two. It’s incredible to have two from the same crop that can run so seamlessly."

"He ran fantastic tonight," Willoughby said. "We ran him in the Golden State Juvenile Stakes and he needed a race really bad. He had gotten sick on us right before the Golden State Million trials so we didn’t run him. We backed off of him. We brought him back and ran him in the Golden State Juvenile. He sure looked good tonight. We have three out of (Moonlight Corona) this year and they’re all really good horses. We have Circle City, (Nomadic) and the horse that (trainer Elena Andrade) has (Full Moon). They’ve all looked really great."

Out of the Corona Cartel mare Moonlight Corona, Nomadic has won three of five starts and banked $26,437. A $35,000 Los Alamitos Equine Sale repurchase in 2018, Nomadic's dam won the Go Josie Go Handicap and the Your First Moon Handicap at Los Alamitos Race Course.

"Moonlight Corona was a great mare," Willoughby added. "I had her and she was as quick away from the gate as any horse I’ve ever trained. Her heart was as big as a truck. She had not thrown much as a mare until this year, but boy, she is producing now."

Favorite Cartel sired 13 of top 20 contenders on Sunday night including an unprecedented seven qualifiers to the rich December 15th final.

Ed Burke Million Futurity(G1) winner Flokie and jockey Jairo Rangel defeated Cartel Jess Rockin by a nose in the 11th trial to get the second fastest time of :19.852 seconds. The grade 1 winning son of Favorite Cartel picked up his fourth win in six starts for owners Francisco Diaz and Jose Flores. Flores also trains the brown gelding from the Check Him Out mare Lady Nayen.

Bred in California by Lazy Creek Ranch, Flokie has banked nearly $481,00 this year. He was also third in the PCQHRA Breeders Futurity(G2) in his last start October 5th.

"He did well, he fought it out," trainer Flores said. "The farther it gets the better it is for him. He had not run since the PCQHRA Breeders Futurity final. He returned for this race and he became the horse that we needed him to become. I hope for the final he runs like that. It’s going to be tough because there’s a bunch of nice horses in there."

Reliance Ranches LLC's royally-bred Mr Ricks broke in under jockey Oscar Peinado in the fifth trial but recovered nicely to win by three-quarters while getting the third fastest time of :19.854 seconds.

Mike Robbins trains the Mr Jess Perry colt from the stakes winning and stakes-producing First Down Dash mare Aquafina. It was the first win in seven starts for the sorrel colt who rewarded backs with a $45 win payoff. McColee Land & Livestock bred Mr Ricks in Utah.

"We’ve been waiting on him to do this," Robbins said. "He’s shown us he can run early on. When we qualified him he went :12.20 and then :12.10. He’s just real immature and it took him a while to come around. We thought he had this in him. He showed up tonight. We’re pleased with him."

Peinado picked up the mount three races ago, as Robbins searched for answers in an effort to help Mr Ricks.

"I wanted to change something on him," Robbins said. "(Jockey Ruben Castro) has done a great job for us all year long. I just wanted to change something to see if it would help him. He still hasn’t come to himself. I still think there’s room for more improvement."

The aforementioned Cartel Jess Rockin, a Favorite Cartel filly who was 4th in the Governor's Cup Futurity(G2) and the Kindergarten Futurity(G2) earlier this year, held on for the fourth fastest time of :19.861 seconds.

Juan Leon rode the bay filly out of Feature Jess Rockin, by Feature Mr Jess, for trainer John Cooper and owner Ronald J. Hartley. Reed Land & Cattle and Levings Racing bred Cartel Jess Rockin in California. She has earned $58,904.

Coming off a win in the $1,038,850 Golden State Million Futurity(G1) on November 3, Runforyourlife got his third consecutive win in third trial to set the fifth fastest clocking of :19.866 seconds.

Ridden by Eduardo Nicasio and trained by Christopher O'Dell, the Rosenthal Ranch LLC runner won by a commanding 1-¼ lengths. Also second in the Governor's Cup Futurity(G2), he has won five of eight starts this season and banked $508,702. Steve Burns bred the Favorite Cartel gelding in California from the multiple stakes producing Corona Cartel mare Remember Me Rose.

"I was worried that he might bounce a little bit because he ran hard in the Golden State Million," O’Dell said. "He’s turned into, for lack of a better word, an iron horse. It’s hard to do that, to come back and win like that and qualify with a good time. We’re very pleased. As soon as we figured him out, he’s done nothing but produce."

Nicasio was aboard Up And Coming in the seventh trial for O'Dell and owners La Feliz Montana Ranch LLC and MRB Racing LLC. The Kiddy Up gelding won by three-quarters while getting the sixth fastest time of :19.898 seconds.

A multiple stakes finalist this season from the Walk Thru Fire mare Hits Keep Coming, Up And Coming has won five of seven starts and earned $25,310. Edward C. Allred is the breeder.

Cattail Cove opened the night with a 1-¼ length win for owner Link Newcomb and trainer Juan Aleman. The brown gelding was the first of two qualifiers for the owner-trainer combo. Ridden by jockey Carlos Huerta, the son of Favorite Cartel posted the seventh fastest clocking of :18.899 seconds.

Steve Burns bred Cattail Cove in California from the Separatist mare Katie Katella. The winner of three of six starts was third in the Governor's Cup Futurity(G2) in July has earned $55,990.

Newcomb, Aleman Huerta also teamed to win the ninth trial with Sacred Nation. The Favorite Cartel gelding stumbled at the start but dug in late to defeat the aforementioned Up And Atem by a neck, getting the eighth fastest time of :19.932 seconds.

Newcomb, who was part of the ownership of 2002 Los Alamitos Million Futurity winner First Place Queen.

"That was before I knew better," Newcomb said with a smile about the experience of winning multiple Grade 1 races with First Place Queen. "Nothing beats this feeling (tonight). I have a better appreciation for it now, almost 20 years later than I did the first time.

Also bred by Burns, Sacred Nation is out of the Hawkinson mare Tahma Hawk. He has won two of eight starts and entered the trials off a second-place effort in the Grade 2 Hobbs America Futurity on October 13. The brown gelding has earned $48,630 this season.

"I had high hopes (for Sacred Nation). He was in tough trial and really got helped by having the outside post position and he had a clean trip. He ran in a couple of maiden races here against some pretty tough competition. Budderlicous beat him in one of those maiden races. He then ran in New Mexico for the Rainbow and All American trials. He ran second in his All American trial and then second in the Hobbs Futurity. He lost a nose photo for the win. He’s been back here for about a month."

Newcomb purchased both runners from the Steve Burns consignment at the Ruidoso Sale. He paid $62,000 for Cattail Cove and $32,000 for Sacred Nation.

Kiss Thru Fire, royally bred daughter of champion sire Walk Thru Fire, won a bob over A Lucky Ladies Man in the third trial to get the ninth fastest time of :19.951 seconds. Juan Aleman trans the Kentucky homebred for owner Gentry Farms.

Fifth in the Golden State Million Futurity(G1) in her last out, the filly out of Fredaville by Mr Jess Perry has won three of eight starts this season. Also a finalist in the Grade 1 Ruidoso Futurity, she has earned $115,031. Carlos Huerta had the riding call.

Up And Atem, the seventh qualifier sired by Favorite Cartel, races for owner-breeder Ed Allred. Fourth in the Golden State Million Futurity(G1) on November 3, Up And Atem is out of the Kiddy Up mare Up For It. He has won three of eight starts and banked $89,240 this season.

For the complete list of qualifiers to the $1,903,272 Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity, their times, sires, dams, owners, breeders, trainers and jockeys CLICK HERE.

The draw for the Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity will take place on Wednesday, December 11.

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A Lucky Ladies Man, third-place finisher in the Golden State Million Futurity earlier this month, shook out of the Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity(G1) final, to Up And Atem, for the 10th fastest time and will be among the preferred invites for the $30,000 Los Alamitos Million Juvenile on December 15. For a complete list of the second 10 fastest qualifiers from tonight's trials CLICK HERE.