LOS ALAMITOS, CA—JUNE 27, 2011—After posting a stakes record win in the $339,600 Kindergarten Futurity, Tremor Enterprises’ Separate Fire scored a brilliant wire to wire victory in the Grade 1 $1,126,000 Ed Burke Million Futurity on Sunday at Los Alamitos to help her owners become the winners of a million dollar Quarter Horse race in the states of New Mexico, Texas and now California.

Ridden by Ramon Sanchez for trainer Paul Jones, Separate Fire flew out of the gate and quickly established a ¾ length advantage before holding off the late rush of Berenisse Gonzalez’s Kindly Fellow to win the first leg of the Los Alamitos Cash Bonanza by a neck.

Separate Fire could become the first winner of the Bonanza’s $1,000,000 dollar cash bonus if she wins both the Golden State Million Futurity on October 30 and the Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity on December 11.

Howard Nichols’ Oceanik ran third and was followed across the wire by Terrific Synergy, Sex On Fire, Hi On The List, Fire Moon Lady, Flame N Flash, Sompin About First and A Country Boy Can.

Bred by Dr. Steve Burns, Separate Fire covered the distance in :17.301 to give her the second fastest 350-yard time by a filly in the history of the Ed Burke Million Futurity. Her time is second only to champion Higher Fire’s :17.23 clocking in her 2005 victory. The overall 350-yard stakes record of :17.17 was set by Carters Cartel in 2007.

For Jose Trevino and wife Zulema, the Ed Burke Million will now be added to the family’s other million dollar wins. Those were posted by Mr Piloto during last year’s $2,050,000 All American Futurity at Ruidoso Downs in New Mexico and by champion Tempting Dash in the $1,105,397 Texas Classic Futurity at Lone Star Park in Texas in 2009.

“We’re down to the ground people, but this is a great moment and we will enjoy it,” Trevino said. “I don’t think I could pick a favorite win (among the million dollar futurities). We feel the same for this one as we do for the other ones, but we appreciate them all. Even when you lose a race, they each give you experience and that’s what counts. If you have 10 horses in the starting gate, you have a 10 percent chance to win and 90 percent chance to lose. We come to the track with those percentages in mind and we feel blessed whenever we win a race.”

The connections of Separate Fire certainly felt very fortunate on the night of the Ed Burke Million trials on June 12. Heavily favored to win her trial, the daughter of Walk Thru Fire had a very troubled start and needed a huge rally to finish second to fastest qualifier Fire Moon Lady. Separate Fire’s time in the trials of :17.501 put her in big danger to miss the Ed Burke final.

“The night of the trials was a very long night,” Trevino added. “That was the toughest night I’ve encountered in racing. We were in the fourth trial of 12 and after her race she was the fifth fastest of 10 qualifiers with still eight trials to go. There were eight trials to go and a lot of awesome horses. I was nervous, hoping for the wind to change and praying a lot. The filly ran her best race that night to qualify.”

Separate Fire’s time held up to be the ninth fastest of the night with only 1/100th of a second to spare. Making the Ed Burke Million and winning it was worth $456,120 in first place money. Her career earnings now stand at $605,082.

“Ramon deserves a lot of credit for getting her to the final,” Jones said. “He picked her up after her bad start and did a great job riding her to the wire. It was a miracle that he got her in the race. That was a long and tough night. I thought she would have been the fastest qualifier if she would have broke on that night. I just kept thinking that here she was the best horse in the whole deal and that she was not going to make it. It was the biggest load off my back when she made it.”

Jones was confident that Separate Fire would deliver an outstanding performance in the Ed Burke final.

“I was worried that her trial race was going to take a lot out of her, but then I saw her the next morning and all my concerns were gone. I thought we had a real good chance in the final,” he added. “She showed her quickness tonight. She smoked them at 300 yards and then ran strong in the final 50 yards. She’s eligible to a lot races, but we don’t know our plans yet.”

One thing is for certain. Separate Fire will be staying in the Golden State.

“There’s no reason to go anyplace else,” Jones said. “She loves California.”

Owned by Berenisse Gonzalez of Hemet, California, Kindly Fellow drifted inward at the start and bumped hard with Sompin About First. Even with the trouble, the Ed Allred-bred son of Tr Dasher was still ahead of most of the other runners and he was able to make up almost ¾ lengths on Separate Fire in the final 110 yards to earn second place money.

“He’s the first horse I’ve owned,” said Gonzalez. “My brother Jose is with Balgo Racing Team (owners of 2010 futurity winners Hot Hitter and West Coast Hawk) and I started owning horses because of him. I would come to the races to see his horses and it rubbed off on me. I’m enjoying it and I hope to own a few more horses.”

Jose Flores saddled Kindly Fellow, who was ridden by Juan Andrade.

Oceanik earned $130,320 for his third place finish. The son of Ocean Runaway was giving owner Howard Nichols his first starter ever in a futurity.

******************************

Jose Trevino expects to be around all of the major Quarter Horse yearling sales in the summer and fall.

“I’ll be there,” he said. “I’ll be looking at yearlings. If I see anything I like, I’ll ask my wife for permission to buy the horse.

******************************

Paul Jones’ in-laws, Marshall and Linda Pura, were celebrating their 45th wedding anniversary on Sunday.

“Paul asked us what we wanted for my anniversary and I told him that all I wanted was to visit the winner’s circle after the Ed Burke Million Futurity with Separate Fire,” said Marshall Pura.

And the champion trainer delivered.

One Ramblin Lady Wins Ed Burke Juvenile Stakes

Gustavo De La Torre’s One Ramblin Lady won the $30,000 Ed Burke Juvenile Stakes by a neck over Jennifers Challenge on Sunday night. The daughter of Tac It Like A Man has now picked back-to-back solid victories at Los Alamitos, as she previously captured the $56,400 Los Alamitos Claiming Stakes.

Ridden by Loza, one Ramblin Lady was claimed for $12,500 after her trial race to the Claiming Stakes. Trained by Ugo De La Torre, One Ramblin Lady earned $16,500 for the win to raise her total earnings to $40,188 since being claimed. One Ramblin Lady covered the distance in :17.329.

Check My Thoughts finished third and was followed home by Teller Shez Wicked, Natalie Dash, Tac Of The Town, El Baia, No Time To Fire and Point Reyes.

Courtesy of www.losalamitos.com