Governor's Cup Futurity(RG1) winner Frivolous is among a talented group of juveniles in the Grade 2, $325,000 PCQHRA Breeders Futurity on Sunday at Los Alamitos.

© Amber Mendez

LOS ALAMITOS, CA—SEPTEMBER 30, 2022—Futurity winners Frivolous and Valiantli are among the bevy of talented juveniles that will face off in the Grade 2, $325,000 PCQHRA Breeders Futurity on Sunday at Los Alamitos.

Clanfield Act Stables' Frivolous will be looking for her second futurity win of the season after winning the Restricted Grade 1 Governor's Cup Futurity on California Breeders Champions Night.

She unleashed a wicked late kick in the final 150 yards to win the Governor's Cup and her strong ability to finish was prominent again in her PCQHRA Breeders trial. Fourth out of the gate in that race, Frivolous flew from there, making up some ground and then flying after the midway point to finish second in her heat.

Ridden by Henry Reynoso Lopez up for trainer Felix Gonzalez, her final clocking was the fifth fastest time of the night.   

"Our filly gave a good showing and I think she ran even better than she has before," Gonzalez said. "Our filly has power. She'll give us her all."

Hes Chickless, owned by Jeryl Hartley, and Mornings With Maria, owned by Javier Barragan, Jr., Enrique Becerra, and Miguel Gomez, both delivered wins on the night of the trials and have also strong efforts in past races.

Trained by John Cooper, Hes Chickless was a ¾ lengths winner on the night of trials against a strong field that included stakes winners Secret Success and Chicks First Flash.

"Hes Chickless is consistent and really knows how to leave the gate," said jockey Juan Pablo Leon, who rides the colt by Hes Relentless. "He's a big, strong, very good-looking horse."

Mornings With Maria outdueled Kindergarten Futurity winner Valiantli by a half-length in a terrific duel to win for the first time in her career. Adrian Loza piloted Mornings With Maria for trainer Juan Aleman.

"The filly left the gate really well (in the trials) and ran her race," Loza said. "I gallop her in the mornings all of the time, so I know her well."

A filly by Seperate Interest and out of Bartiromo, Mornings With Maria was bred by Dr. Steve Burns. Burns is also the owner and breeder of Turbeau, who also won a trial race by ¾ lengths for trainer Mike Casselman and jockey Oscar Peinado.

They'll team up with Turbeau in the PCQHA Breeders final, as the Favorite Cartel colt also advance to the final.

In addition to Another Nymph, Arrossa will saddle Taos River Ranch, Dennis Jensen, and Randy Young's Valiantli and Five Livestock and Steve Wright's Chicks First Flash.

Valiantli, a filly by Valiant Hero, finished behind Mornings With Maria in the trials, but she was the big headline grabber earlier this year when she won the Robert Adair Kindergarten Futurity. The trials were her first start back since that futurity win.

"(Jockey) Armando Cervantes said she stepped back just a little bit when the gates opened (in the trial) and didn't quite get a great start," Arrossa said. "She still ran a super race."

Meanwhile, Chicks First Flash is now a veteran of stakes action as this will be the fourth stakes appearance of his career. The First Moonflash gelding ran second in the Kindergarten and first in both the Fred Scane and John Deere California Juvenile Challenge. He was third to Hes Chickless in his trial race.

"He kind of got bumped around and got behind Hes Chickless, who is a very nice horse," Arrossa said. "I thought Chicks First Flash ran huge at the end."

The trial that featured Hes Chickless and Chicks First Flash also featured J. Francisco Diaz's Quirky Bitty Jess, who ran third in the Ed Burke Million in her previous start.

Also owned by Diaz, One Sweet Bar will join stablemate, Quirky Bitty Jess, in the PCQHRA Breeders final.

George and Ruben Villalobos' Required First, who was second to Frivolous in the Governor's Cup, won his trial to make another futurity final. The First Down Dash colt has finished in the money in all six of his starts. Erasmo Gasca will ride the Jose Flores-trainee.

Secret Success will not participate in the futurity final, but we'll be eyeing other top races later this year.

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