LOS ALAMITOS, CA—JUNE 24, 2012—San Gregorio Racing Stables and Jose and Gustavo De La Torre’s One Dashing Eagle dominated the running of the $1,041,000 Ed Burke Million Futurity thanks to a 1 ¼ length victory that featured the meet’s fastest 350-yard time of :17.335 on Sunday at Los Alamitos.

One Dashing Eagle’s victory helped his dam, One Sweet Dash, join an elite group of mares, as she became only the fourth Quarter Horse broodmare to have two different winners of million dollar races. Her older son, the now 4-year-old stallion One Sweet Jess, won the Golden State Million Futurity for Jose and Gustavo De La Torre in 2010.

Corona Chick (the dam of million dollar race winners Valiant Hero, Corona Cartel and Corona Cash), Florentine (Evening Snow and This Snow Is Royal), and Harems Choice (A Regal Choice and Royal Quick Dash) are the other broodmares in the history of the sport to have produced more than one winner of a race worth seven-figures. The Allred Brothers of Arizona bred One Dashing Eagle. They also bred One Sweet Jess as well as AB What A Runner, who won the $2 million All American Futurity in 2002.

One Dashing Eagle’s sire, first-year stallion One Famous Eagle, also joined an elite group of Quarter Horse stallions thanks to the Ed Burke Million. A winner of the 2007 Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity, One Famous Eagle joins Corona Cartel, Royal Quick Dash and Teller Cartel as the only Quarter Horse stallions to have won a million dollar race and sired the winner of one as well.

Ridden by Adrian Loza and saddled by Eloy Navarro, One Dashing Eagle stumbled slightly at the start, but quickly recovered and his power was too much for his rivals to overcome. The fastest qualifier in the Ed Burke Million trials held on June 10, One Dashing Eagle earned $420,420 for his second win in three career starts. Arnold Gonzalez’s Fires Blazin finished second – a ½ length ahead of third place finisher Joy Roses Eagle SA. Bred by Mike Abraham and sired by Walk Thru Fire, Fires Blazin earned $170,170 for his runner-up effort. The Guillermo Morales-trained runner had also run second to One Dashing Eagle in the Ed Burke Million trials. Racing for the estate of Gianni Samaja, Joy Roses Eagle SA earned $120,120 for her third place finish. The Samaja-bred filly was also sired by One Famous Eagle.

The Ed Burke Million Futurity is the first leg of the Los Alamitos’ version of the Triple Crown, but no such chase will take in 2012. Due to a futurity payment mix-up, One Dashing Eagle is not eligible to run in the Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity. Purchased for $37,500 at the Ruidoso Yearling Sale, One Dashing Eagle could still earn a lot more dough, as he is eligible to run in the trials to the All American Futurity at Ruidoso Downs and the Golden State Million Futurity at Los Alamitos.

“He is not in the Two Million because of a mistake, but those things happen,” said Jose De La Torre. “Right now, we are enjoying this victory and the emotions are high because a lot of our family is here in the winner’s circle with us. It’s great to share it with Dr. Steve Burns and his wife, Jo. They care for our stallion One Sweet Jess at their ranch.” “(One Dashing Eagle) will probably go for the All American Futurity now,” he added. “The way he ran in his trial gave us a lot of confidence coming into this race. We’ve been lucky twice now with great horses from the great Allred Brothers breeding program. The win in the Golden State Million and now this victory, I can’t tell them apart. They both feel great. You don’t have chances to run in big races like this too often. Then you get a chance to do so and you have 18 seconds to experience the race. It’s a big mix of adrenalin and nerves, but now it’s an incredible feeling of happiness.”

This happiness was shared with George Carmona of San Gregorio Racing Stables, who own 50 percent of One Dashing Eagle.

“I’ve known the Carmona family for a long time,” Gustavo De La Torre continued. “I used to gallop horses for them when I was 16 so we go back a long time. When we decided to stand One Sweet Jess at stud it was also an opportunity to invite a lot of people to see if they wanted to partner with us on horses. (George) Carmona came in and joined us on this horse. It looks like we might have another future stallion in our hands with One Dashing Eagle.”

“I’m thrilled,” Carmona added. “I’ve never won a race of this magnitude so it’s a great feeling. This colt showed so much in the trials, but he came back in great form for this final. He is sound, very sound and he ran his heart out tonight. Hopefully we can keep it going, as we have a Flaming Out and Reina Del Fuego in the Vessels Maturity final on July 8.”

San Gregorio Racing Stables is based in Riverside where the 8-acre facility houses some 25 horses in training.

“Some of the horses belong to us, but we have a lot of clients as well,” Carmona explained. “We have a small training track there, but on it we are able to get things done with the horses. We had some tough times because of the economy, but hopefully things are picking up.”

Both jockey Adrian Loza and trainer Eloy Navarro enjoyed their first major victories thanks to the Ed Burke Million. For the 25-year-old rider, it was a dream come true.

“I arrived at Los Alamitos six years ago and winning a big race was my first dream,” said Loza, a native of Lagos de Moreno in Jalisco, Mexico. “The dream has become a reality. When you reach something like this, it’s a team effort. I learned a lot of lessons from jockey Saul Ramirez and also the horseman Horacio Rios. They showed me a lot about riding a horse. When I started working with One Dashing Eagle, he felt like a different type of a horse. He was pure power. It’s amazing to think that my dream of winning this type of a race has finally happened.”

“Adrian is a great kid,” Jose De La Torre added. “I hope that after this victory he gets more opportunities to ride good horses for different people. He rides our horses and does a great job with them, but we have a small barn. If you give him a good horse he can show what he can do. This is a great night for Adrian and I think you’ll see him become one of the jockeys at Los Alamitos in the near future.”

The Juan Aleman-trained fillies Watch Linda Ballet and Tres Special finished fourth and fifth, respectively. Jess Being Valiant ran seventh and was followed by Starlite Delight, who became very fractious in the gate prior to the start of the race, High School Secrets and Revv Me Up. The De La Torre’s Freedom Choice was scratched prior to the beginning of the racing program on Sunday.

“He’ll be back for the Golden State Million Futurity trials,” Jose De La Torre said. “He was not right and we didn’t want to risk an injury. He’ll get last place money, but that’s okay. He’ll have other races to compete.”

Ed Burke Juvenile

Francisco Guzman’s Tr Dasher colt Remembering Spence won the $30,000 Ed Burke Juvenile Stakes by a half-length over Beat This Chick in a time of :17.476.

Trained by Juan Aleman and ridden by Francisco Rubio, Remembering Spence earned $16,500. Bred by Ed Allred, Remembering Spence is named in honor of the Hall of Fame owner and breeder Spencer L. Childers, who passed away on July 9, 2009.

Courtesy of www.losalamitos.com