Undefeated Beehive Futurity winner KR Cartels Calamity will start in the Sunday's opening trial for the $75,000-added Bitterroot Futurity at Pocatello Downs.

© Kira Jo Harris

By StallioneSearch

POCATELLO, ID—JUNE 26, 2025—Pocatello Downs will take center stage Sunday with a card headlined by five trials for the restricted Grade 3, $75,000-added Bitterroot Futurity and two trials for the $15,000-added Bitterroot Derby.

Two-Year-Old Standouts Line Up in Bitterroot Futurity Trials

The futurity trials, slated as races 4 through 8, will be contested at 350 yards and feature a strong contingent of 2-year-olds sired by participating stallions. The ten fastest qualifiers will return for the final on Sunday, July 20, with a second-chance $15,000 Bitterroot Juvenile offered to the next ten fastest runners.

Among the headliners is KR Cartels Calamity, the undefeated Beehive Futurity winner who drew the rail in the opening trial (Race 4). Bred by Kidd Ranch in Colorado and owned by Luis Gonzalez, the Five Bar Cartel colt has earned $42,121. Abelardo Gonzalez trains, and Cesar Moreno has the mount.

In Trial 2 (Race 5), Shamrock S (5-2), a Beehive Futurity finalist, will start for owner Francisco Alcala and trainer Sergio Canales. David Alvarez Jr. will pilot the Kvn Corona gelding, who was bred in Utah by Michael K. McKell.

Fire In The Whole, another Beehive finalist with two wins in three starts, is the 1-5 favorite in Trial 3 (Race 6). Owned by Michael K. McKell and trained by Canales, the $28,000 Los Alamitos Equine Sale purchase will be ridden by Jesus Canales from post 3.

Trial 4 (Race 7) features Dashing Deluxe, a 1¼-length winner of the Denny Weigt Overnight Futurity. The Eagle Deluxe filly, trained by Jarrett Mills, was purchased for $8,500 at the Heritage Place Yearling Sale by the Luis Gomez, Salvador Gomez and Eddie Gomez. Luis also trains.

Also in the field is Bobs Speedysaintjess, runner-up in the Idaho Cup Futurity, racing for Mike McKell with Jesus Canales aboard.

Trial 5 (Race 8) is loaded with talent, headlined by OJD Kali Sunrise (5-2), runner-up in the Hadley-Giles Futurity. The Jess Good Candy filly, a homebred for Karla and Oscar Diaz, will be ridden by David Alvarez Jr. for trainer Javier Fuentes.

Also entered is Paint Me LP, winner of the Beehive Juvenile. Bred by Curtis Jones, the Jess Paint Me gelding is trained by Also Hansen for Legend Performance Horses LLC, with Cesar Moreno named to ride.

M E Dulce This, a debut winner who qualified for the Idaho Cup Futurity, returns looking to rebound from a tough outing in the final. The Dulce Sin Tacha colt, trained by Jarrett Mills, will be ridden by Eric Ayala for owners Dave Merritt and Kim Newman.

Bitterroot Derby Trials Feature Familiar Faces

In the 400-yard Derby trials (Races 10 and 11), Cosmic Marfa is the standout. The 1-5 favorite in the opening heat, the The Marfa Lights gelding won the Five Livestock Company/Rod Mills Memorial Derby, Roche Equine Futurity, and was second in the Intermountain Futurity. He is trained and owned by Abel Romero and will be ridden by Raphael Romero.

Heza Flashy Eagle (5-2), second in the Blattner Memorial Derby, starts from post 5 for owner Ron Cameron and trainer Sergio Canales. The One Fabulous Eagle gelding, bred in Oklahoma by Royal Vista Ranches, will be ridden by David Alvarez Jr.

In the second Derby trial (Race 11), M E Closing Time is the 2-1 morning line favorite. The Ec Jet One filly, a homebred for Merritt and Newman, was third in the Rod Mills Memorial Derby and second in the Idaho Cup Derby. Jarrett Mills trains, and Eric Ayala rides.

Challenging her from the rail is Notin Missing Here (5-2), a $15,000 Heritage Place grad who was runner-up in the Blattner Memorial Derby. The Kvn Corona filly is owned by Michael K. McKell and trained by Canales, with Alvarez Jr. aboard.

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