PCQHRA Horse of the Year Lethal Cowboy 123 is among the hopefuls for this year’s $926,200 Los Alamitos Super Derby(G1).

© William Zuazo

LOS ALAMITOS, CA–NOVEMBER 6, 2025–Led by the Lethal Cowboy 123, the reigning PCQHRA Horse of the Year, fastest qualifier Hott Temptation, the Champion of Champions bound Grade 1 winning filly, and FDD Dreams, the nation’s leading money earner in the 3-year-old ranks, the field for this year’s Grade 1, $926,200 Los Alamitos Super Derby is among the best ever assembled for California’s richest derby.

The 400-yard race is set as the 10th race on the Sunday night card, with the Super Derby winner also qualifying for a presumptive berth to the Grade 1 Champion of Champions.

The field from the rail out is as follows: Fire Tools 123, Lethal Cowboy 123, Racy Favorite, Norco, Curl Happy Wagon, Hott Temptation, FDD Dreams, Outtasyght, Show N Tell Cartel, and Devils Tower.

Owned by Caliche Walls Venture LLC, Alan Isbell, Lance Bland, and Jimmy Barton, Lethal Cowboy 123 will look to make it seven wins in as many outings at Los Alamitos when he heads the Super Derby. Lethal Cowboy 123, who, in addition to being named the 2024 PCQHRA Horse of the Year, was also honored as the AQHA champion 2-year-old last year, maintained his record intact at Los Alamitos thanks to an easy victory in his Super Derby trial on October 19.

With Edwin Escobedo aboard for AQHA champion trainer Marc Jungers, the gelding by Flying Cowboy 123 flew out of the gate in his trial and cruised from there to post a 1 ½ length win. Never threatened, Lethal Cowboy 123 didn’t need to run his fastest on the night of the trials, as he settled for the fourth fastest qualifying time of 19.619.

The Veronica Gail Kawananakoa-bred runner also picked up his second victory of the year at the Orange County oval, his first being a half-length victory in the Sgt Pepper Feature Handicap on August 23. During his 2024 championship campaign, Lethal Cowboy 123 won the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity and Grade 1 Golden State Million Futurity.

"The Sgt Pepper Feature was a confidence builder for him," Jungers said. "It set him up well, and he looked impressive tonight. He was relaxed when he was running."

Lethal Cowboy 123 is now looking to become only the seventh Quarter Horse to win both the richest futurity and richest derby contested at Los Alamitos. The six to have accomplished the Los Alamitos Two Million and Los Alamitos Super Derby double are Corona Kool (1999-2000), One Famous Eagle (2007-08), Matabari (2012-13), Foose Cash SR (2013-14), Flash And Roll (2018-19), and Bomb Cyclone (2021-22).

Flash And Roll did it by winning six in a row at Los Alamitos, while Bomb Cyclone got the double while going perfect in his first four starts here.

Lethal Cowboy 123 hopes to get this magical double while also improving his record to a perfect seven for seven in his career racing at the Cypress track. Overall, Lethal Cowboy 123 has won 10 of 13 career starts. Post number two is also a familiar spot for the California-bred, as he won the Los Alamitos Two Million and Golden State Million finals from this post position.

All American Derby winner FDD Dreams will enter the Super Derby after running a close second behind top qualifier Hott Temptation in their trial. FDD Dreams was making his first start ever at Los Alamitos and figures to improve with the experience of a nighttime outing in Southern California.

Owned and bred by La Feliz Montana Ranch LLC, the superstar sophomore has been spectacular during his 15-race career. With a total of nine career victories to his name, FDD Dreams won the Grade 1 Texas Classic Futurity at Lone Star Park last year and won Grade 1 Ruidoso Derby this year. His juvenile campaign also included a second in the Grade 1 Rainbow Futurity and a third in the Grade 1 All American Futurity.

The gelding by FDD Dynasty has won four of his six starts in 2025 and his earnings of $886,324 rank him third nationally. All American Futurity winner King Of The Tide and FDD Dreams’ stablemate, the All American runner-up and Ruidoso Futurity winner Political Twist, are the only two currently ahead of him in 2025 earnings.

FDD Dreams is also the only Quarter Horse older than two among the nation’s top 10 earners this year. That could change thanks to the rich Super Derby purse, which will award its winner $375,564 in prize money.

Xavier Rodriguez, right now the nation’s third leading trainer in money earned, will saddle FDD Dreams. Luis Martinez, who is currently the nation’s leading jockey in earnings, will pilot the New Mexico-bred star.  

Impressive is a perfect way to describe Hott Temptation at Los Alamitos in 2025. Bred in Texas by Fulton Quien Sabe Ranches, Hott Temptation won the La Pacifica Handicap earlier this year. After winning a trial to the Rainbow Oaks she returned to California to win the Grade 1 Mildred Vessels Memorial Handicap over older mares. The significant effort earned her a berth in the Champion of Champions.

And with all that said, Hott Temptation’s win over FDD Dreams in their Super Derby trial may have been her best race of the season. Racing from an outside post, Hott Temptation trailed FDD Dreams by ¾ lengths before kicking into high gear to win the race in the fastest time of :19.572.

"I thought we ran second (at first) but the second time I watch it, I thought we had it," trainer Eddie Willis said.

All in all, Hott Temptation has started nine times at Los Alamitos resulting in five victories.  Bred in Texas, the filly by Tempting Dash out of the recently named Dam of Distinction Pandorum has now won seven of her 15 career starts. Her other good efforts in California this year include winning a trial to the Los Alamitos Oaks and running third to the Brazilian mare Miss Isao Jqm.

Dunn Ranch’s Outtasyght and Gamaliel Garza Garcia’s Devils Tower also scored Super Derby trial wins. Outtasyght won his trial by 1 ¾ lengths, posting the second-fastest qualifying time of 19.575. The gray gelding by Apollitical Jess has won four of his seven local starts, including the Los Alamitos Maiden Stakes earlier this year.

 Trained by Juan Aleman, Devils Tower scored a solid ½ length win in his trial to give him the fifth fastest qualifying time. Bred by Steve Burns, this colt by Favorite Cartel out of the great producer Babe On The Fly, the dam of Grade 1 winners Little Talks and Rock You. Devils Tower finished third at Los Alamitos in both the Ed Burke Million Futurity and Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity last year.

The rest of the field is also highly accomplished. Mario

Tellez Montiel’s Show N Tell Cartel won the Grade 2 El Primero Del Ano Derby and ran in the Los Alamitos Two Million last year.

Ed Allred’s Norco and CD Horses, Inc., Jose Flores and Robyn Gordon’s Fire Tools 123 are both Grade 1 finalists.

At the same time, both Racy Favorite and Curl Happy Wagon have won top-caliber trial races at Ruidoso and Albuquerque. Johnny Trotter owns Racy Favorite, who Xavier Rodriguez also trains, while Curl Happy Wagon is owned by Jackpot Farms and trained by Kristen Watanabe.

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