Fastest qualifier from the trials American Dreamin looks to win her first career stakes race on Sunday in the Grade 1 Golden State Million at Los Alamitos.

© Los Alamitos

LOS ALAMITOS, CA–OCTOBER 25, 2024–American Dreamin will look to give Dunn Ranch their third futurity win of the season when the fastest qualifier headlines an outstanding field of juveniles in the running of the Grade 1, $1,073,800 Golden State Million Futurity on Sunday at Los Alamitos.

Dunn Ranch has already visited the winner's circle twice at Los Alamitos after futurities. Those wins were courtesy of the undefeated Up To Party in the Grade 1 Ed Burke Million Futurity and the Grade 2 PCQHRA Breeders Futurity.

Dunn Ranch and trainer Monty Arrossa decided to give their star filly a longer break with the thought of bringing her back fresh for the trials to the Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity a month from now.  American Dreamin took the baton in her place, and she was tremendous. The Apollitical Blood filly won her trial by 2 1/2 lengths and had the top time of 19.661 in the 400-yard trials.  The next fastest qualifier was Lethal Cowboy 123, with a time of 19.88.

"We've had a good year with our fillies," Matt Dunn said. "We gave Up To Party a break and we're fortunate that American Dreamin stepped up with such a good race."                                                        

Dunn Ranch also has the fourth fastest qualifier, Blood Viper, in this race after his runner-up effort against Big Bang Rocket. The Oklahoma-bred Blood Viper is out of royally bred Tres Sea, who is half-sister to AQHA champions Ocean Runaway and Wave Carver. Blood Viper is the son of Apollitical Blood. 

It's not just juveniles who are making big efforts for Dunn Ranch this season. The Dunns campaign superstar mare Pattys Saint is undefeated in four starts this year. All of them are coming in stakes races. Dunn Ranch also co-owns Stanley Cartel, who qualified to the Los Alamitos Super Derby on Sunday.

A winner in her two local outings, American Dreamin, hopes to extend her success in Southern California. Prior to her local arrival, she was third in her trials to both the Rainbow Futurity and All American Futurity in New Mexico.

"They started her in Oklahoma, and they really liked her over there," Arrossa said. "I took her to Ruidoso, and she was a little slow to mature. We brought her to Los Al, and she really likes it here. We put a lot of work into her, and she did well. We ran her in a maiden, and she didn't break very good but won the maiden race and was super impressive. She has done fantastic between that maiden race and these trials. She beat the gates open (in the trials) and put it on them. She ran a perfect race."

Bred in Oklahoma by Dunn Ranch, American Dreamin is out of the Kentucky-bred mare Sweet 16. From the Gentry Family racing stock, Sweet 16 is a stakes-placed mare out of the multiple graded stakes winner and $320,000 earner Fovee.

Trainer Marc Jungers enjoyed an evening to remember on the night of the Golden State Million trials. While the trials were taking place at Los Alamitos, Jungers was at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, Texas, where he saddled Grade 1 Los Alamitos Oaks winner Asscher to a dead-heat victory in the Dash For Cash Derby.

About an hour later, Jungers' trainee, Lethal Cowboy 123, posted a 1 3/4 length victory in his trial on the way to posting the second-fastest time. The gelding by Flying Cowboy 123 has won three of five career starts, including a trial win to the Rainbow Futurity at Ruidoso Downs. He also ran second in his trial to the All American Futurity. Bred in California by Veronica Gail Kawananakoa, Lethal Cowboy 123 is out of the two-time winner Pretty Lethal.

Joshua Owens' Big Bang Rocket has been outstanding in both of his local starts, winning each of them impressively. The Eddie Willis trainee won his trial by a neck while posting the third-fastest time of 19.962. Bred by McColee Land & Livestock LLC, Big Bang Rocket is a Utah-bred gelding by Apollitical Jess out of the graded stakes placed mare and $134,745 earner Budder Think Twice.

"He's done everything really good here," Willis said. "I'm proud that he's doing as well as he is. He runs really good down the track." 

Johnny Trotter's Cartel Perry, a strong performer in major futurity trials in New Mexico this summer, will enter the Golden State final after a sharp trial victory. The son of Mr Jess Perry won his trial by a 1/2 length for trainer Chris O'Dell. Cartel Perry's dam is Famous Cartel Lady, a half-sister of AQHA champion One Famous Eagle.

Steve Burns and Mike Casselman's Competent, a finalist to the Governor's Cup Futurity, remains a maiden after seven career starts, but he's delivered strong efforts in his most significant races. The Steve Burns-bred colt by Seperate Interest finished third behind Big Bang Rocket and Blood Viper with his clocking being good enough to rank him as the sixth fastest qualifier. Casselman saddled back-to-back winners of the Golden State thanks to Burns' Little Talks in 2015 and Lucky Seven Ranch's Lotta Blues Man in 2016. 

Licon Farm and Ranch LLC's Apolitical Chilitas enters the final after running second to Cartel Perry in her trial. Bred by Omar Paredes, Apolitical Chilitas will be starting in her first Grade 1 final.

The rest of the field includes three of California's top juveniles in Reliance Ranches' Snow Bound, Buckway Ranch's Ultimate Battle, and EG High Desert Farms' Favorite Jesshawk. A son of Favorite Cartel, Snow Bound is now a three-time futurity finalist after also qualifying to the Governor's Cup and the PCQHRA Breeders Futurity. He's a half-brother to multiple Grade 1 winner BH Lisas Boy.

Also sired by Favorite Cartel, Ultimate Battle proved himself to be an ultimate gamer, as he bumped at the start in his trial, was seventh early in the race, and then came flying in late to win his trial by a 1/2 length in the ninth fastest time. Like Snow Bound, Ultimate Battle is now a three-time futurity finalist after previously running second to Up To Party in the Ed Burke Million and PCQHRA Breeders.    

Favorite Jesshawk won the Governor's Cup Futurity in the summer and now enters the final after running second to Lethal Cowboy 123. The Jesus Nunez trainee is a colt by freshman sire A Mere Felix.