LOS ALAMITOS, CA—JULY 11, 2020—Haras Portofino's Untuckit led from start to finish to win the opening trial to the $322,000 Governor's Cup Futurity by ¾ lengths on Saturday at Los Alamitos, while posting the fastest qualifying time to the July 25th final to be held here on California Breeders Champions Night.

Ridden by Eduardo Nicasio for trainer Chris O'Dell, Untuckit flew out of the gate to establish a daylight advantage before opening a 1-¼ length lead from post number five. The gelding by Favorite Cartel cruised to the wire from there to score his first career win in four starts.

Bred by Steve Burns, Untuckit crossed the wire ¾ lengths ahead of Favorite Five while covering the 350-yards in :17.713.

Out of the Corona Cartel mare Remember The Cartel, Untuckit is from the female family of Kool Kue, the dam of the memorable AQHA champion aged mare Kool Kue Baby. She is also the dam of Gone Kool Man, the winner of the Grade 1 Remington Park Derby. Untuckit is full brother to Long Lost Buddy, the winner of the 2016 Bitterroot Futurity, and a half-brother to West Texas Juvenile Stakes winner No Sandbaggin and Grade 1 Texas Classic Derby and Grade 1 Ruidoso Futurity finalist Separate Cartel.

For Haras Portofino, Untuckit is the Brazilian-owned operation's second major stakes finalist of the year. Haras Portofino also campaigns 2018 AQHA South American Champion Corona Jumpim MRL, who ran second in the Grade 1 Brad McKinzie Los Alamitos Winter Championship earlier this year.

As it has often been the case at Los Alamitos in recent years, the futurity trials were dominated by the offspring of Favorite Cartel. The superstar stallion sired seven of the 10 qualifiers, including the horses with the four fastest times.

Cesar De Alba, a former leading jockey at Los Alamitos and now trainer, saddled his first major futurity qualifier after 10-1 longshot Favorite Colossus won the second trial by a nostril in the second fastest qualifying time of :17.742. Ridden by Jesus Rios Ayala, the Favorite Cartel colt led right from the start and even though it required a photo finish in the end, he was able on for his first win in three career starts. Jeff and Michelle Cravens own and bred Favorite Colossus.

"I don't know what to say," a thrilled De Alba said. "It's different sitting there and watching the race while not having any control after you give the rider a leg up. It is different and in a race like this, it makes it even crazier. I am getting better (dealing with the emotions). You should have seen me the first few times. Right now, this feeling is awesome."

De Alba won the Governor's Cup Futurity as a jockey in 2008 with Hard Hitting and in 2016 with AJS Anna Smoke. In his riding career, he won 1,001 Quarter Horse races and 87 Quarter Horse stakes races at Los Alamitos. He began his Los Alamitos career as a top Thoroughbred rider as well. De Alba began training last year and his compact stable has now won four races from 29 starters.

"I used to ride for the Cravens when they had horses with Charles Treece and then James Glenn, Jr." De Alba said. "We've been good friends and I've known them for a while. They gave me a chance and hopefully it works out."

The Cravens/De Alba partnership found success with the talented Favorite Colossus.

"It has taken him some time," De Alba said of Favorite Colossus. "I think he's going to get better. Ayala said he may want to run a bit longer. He said he got a little tired, but that he's going to be alright."

Dennis Jensen's Cartels Legacy and Cesar Nunez' Squid Word finished in a dead-heat for second behind Favorite Colossus in trial number two and in a tie for the third fastest qualifying time of :17.744. Ridden by Armando Cervantes for trainer Monty Arrossa, the Favorite Cartel filly came into this race after winning her career debut on May 8. Her dam is Apollitical Legacy, who won her trials to the Ed Burke Million Futurity and Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity in 2014 and won that year's Golden State Juvenile Stakes.

Trained by Valentin Zamudio and ridden by Ruben Lozano, Squid Word is also by Favorite Cartel and out of the top mare Tahma Hawk. Purchased for $72,000 at the Heritage Place Sale, Squid Word is a sister of All American Futurity finalist Crooked Path. Nunez, Zamudio and Lozano teamed up to win the Governor's Cup Futurity last year with the Favorite Cartel colt Pitbull.

M and G Farms, Inc's Constituent won the third trial and finished with the fifth fastest qualifying time of :17.766 after holding off Ed Allred's Single Brad by a neck. A colt by Seperate Interest, Constituent is a half-brother to Squid Word. Lozano and Zamudio teamed up with Constituent as well.

Bella Valenzuela's Opt Out, a gelding by Favorite Cartel, has a roller coaster of a season after posting an impressive maiden win, but then veering out badly when running last in his trial to the Ed Burke Million Futurity. He put it all together in this trial, as he finished strongly to win by a neck in the fifth fastest qualifying time of :17.767.

"He is a very talented horse," trainer Jose Flores said. "His troubles are in the gate. We have worked very hard to improve that part of his game. The Los Alamitos starting gate crew has been very helpful during morning training and in the workouts helping me with this horse. Hopefully, we can build on this win and keep it going."

Dr. Steve Burns, the AQHA champion breeder in 2019, bred half of the qualifiers to the Governor's Cup Futurity. Dr. Burns bred Untuckit, Squid Word, Constituent, Opt Out and Favorite Five.

For complete list of qualifiers with times, sires, dams, owners, breeders, trainers and jockeys CLICK HERE.

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Courtesy of www.losalamitos.com.