Los Alamitos breaks down the Robert Adair Kindergarten Futurity-0G2 trials on Sunday.

© Los Alamitos

By Orlando Gutierrez

LOS ALAMITOS, CA–APRIL 16, 2026–Fifty-six of the top Quarter Horse juveniles on the grounds at Los Alamitos are set to face off in the trials for the Grade 2, $254,500 Robert Adair Kindergarten Futurity here on Sunday night.

Contested at the distance of 300 yards, these trials serve as an early season proving ground for many of the elite young runners in Southern California. At stake is a spot in the prestigious final on Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 10, where only the 10 fastest times from the trials will earn a chance to run in the first futurity of the year at Los Alamitos.

Last year’s renewal saw Keith Nellesen’s KVN Corona filly Beuteeful use a Kindergarten victory as a launching pad for what has been an outstanding racing career that included a win in this year's $415,000 Los Alamitos Oaks.

The quest now begins to find the next stars of Quarter Horse racing.

By The Numbers: The Class of 2026
Heading into Sunday’s seven trials, the participation numbers reflect a strong and competitive crop of juveniles:

• 51 of the 56 starters have already made at least one outing at Los Alamitos.
• 8 individuals have already visited the winner's circle.
• 10 others have shown significant promise by finishing second in their debuts.
With 56 horses already with experience in the starting gate, the trials should be highly competitive, with many horses possibly blossoming in their second career start.

The Leading Lady: Contentious
Based on the juveniles that have started so far, the one with the most "buzz" going into the Kindergarten trials of Los Alamitos, is the talented first out winner Contentious. Owned by Jose Santos and Manuel Chavez and trained by Jose Flores, this Favorite Cartel filly has surely been the most visually impressive juvenile of the young season.

Bred by Steve Burns, Contentious is "blue-blooded" in every sense of the word. She is a full sister to 2024 Governor’s Cup Derby winner Mask Mandate and a half-sister to Grade 1-placed Shiny New. In her 220-yard debut, she did more than just win; she dominated. Under Irving Lara, she broke like a shot, established daylight by the midway point, and stopped the clock in :11.976. She remains the only juvenile this year to break the 12-second barrier at that distance here this year.

Coming off a bullet gate work of :12.2 on March 4, Contentious enters her trials as the one to beat and depending on her performance, she could end up being the benchmark by which all others are measured, especially since she’ll be racing in one of the early trials, race number three which is actually the second Kindergarten heat. She’ll start from post number five.

This trial shapes up as the strongest of the night as two other winners, Bridgewater and Recuperate have also been drawn into this trial. Jose Flores trains Bridgewater as well, who is owned by Jose Moreno and will be ridden by Ricardo Ramirez from post number three. Ed Allred’s Recuperate will race from post number one for trainer James Glenn, Jr. Oscar Peinado will ride Recuperate.

Will this be the "Golden" Generation: Freshmen Sire on Fire
The trials will also provide a major stage for freshman sire Golden Boi. An AQHA champion and former Grade 1 Ed Burke Million Futurity winner himself, Golden Boi’s first crop is already making waves for owner Ed Allred and trainer James Glenn, Jr.

Two of his standout sons, Recuperate and College Boy, look like serious contenders on Kindergarten trial night:

• Recuperate: This gelding won his debut by ¾ lengths in :12.335. He is out of Getting Better, a half-sister to Los Alamitos Two Million winner Worth Doing, suggesting Recuperate should relish extra yardage from his 220 debut to this 300 yard trial. As mentioned previously, he’ll face top contenders Contentious and Bridgewater in the second of seven  trials.

• College Boy: Perhaps the "grittiest" winner of the group, Ed Allred’s College Boy was "pinballed" and squeezed midway through his debut race. Most youngsters would have folded in their first out, but he fought through to win by a half-length in :12.50. His late burst in both his morning works and his race suggests he could as strong a finisher as anyone on Sunday. College Boy will race number seven (trial number six of the night). Also trained by James Glenn, Jr., College Boy will be ridden by Cesar Ortega. His dam is La Sierran, who still holds the track record at 100 yards.

The Flores Factor: A Powerhouse Stable
Trainer Jose Flores holds a formidable hand in this year’s trials. Beyond Contentious, he saddles several other maiden winners who look ready for the next step up in their racing careers:

• Jaque: Owned by Rojas Racing, who campaigned the millionaire and multiple restricted Grade 1 winning standout Blood Money in Louisiana, this KVN Corona filly showed professional poise winning from the rail. She stopped the clock in :12.091, a time that stacks up well against the rest of Sunday’s Kindergarten hopefuls. Jacque will start in race number five (the fourth trial) from post number four. Irving Lara will also pilot Jaque.

• Bridgewater: A $21,000 yearling repurchase, this Mpshinning filly proved her toughness on March 28. During a morning drill, she bumped with the aforementioned Contentious but remained unfazed, later translating that grit into a one-length debut victory in :12.098. This time around, Bridgewater and Contentious will race with more on the line than morning bragging rights, as they’ll face off in the second trial of the night.

• Cyber Eyes: Representing the sire Cyber Monday, this Arizona-bred filly showed big improvement between her works and her debut. Despite taking contact at the start, she shrugged it off to win her racing debut in :12.274. She now returns in the fourth race on the card (trial number three) while start from along the rail with Irving Lara once again getting the call for the Flores-barn.

Other Winners to Watch
Monday Dynasty (James J. Gonzalez II): This Cyber Monday gelding brings Oklahoma-bred speed to the West Coast. Despite a green debut where he angled out at the break, he still powered to a 1 ½-length win in :12.157. With a straighter path, he could be one of the night's fastest qualifiers. Monday Dynasty will be in action in the sixth race on Sunday night (trial number five). Edwin Escobedo will ride him from post number six for owner Guadalupe Cortez.

AP Eagle Heart (Adan Farias): The most experienced runner in the Kindergarten crop, being the only winner with two starts under her belt. Owned by Levaughn Gines, she showed significant improvement from her first to second start, winning by a nose on April 4. She’ll be in action in the final race, which is also the final Kindergarten trial on Sunday. AP Eagle Heart will start from post number five against this quality group of seven other juveniles.

The "Knocking on the Door" Contingent
In a race decided by hundredths of a second, those who finished second in their debuts often represent the best value for handicappers. Twelve Kindergarten-eligible runners fit this profile, including:

• Queenship: Lost by a nose in her debut and was a bargain $20,000 yearling purchase. Owned by Ed Allred and trained by Scott Willoughby, Queenship came close to winning her debut when running second by  a nose to Call Me Soft in :12.23. She’ll be one of the top runners in the opening Kindergarten trial (race two).

• Look At Her Cowboy: Flying Cowboy 123 filly will be a part of the very strong race three against Contentious, Bridgewater, and Recuperate. She’ll start from post number seven after running second to Bridgwater in their debut in a time of :12.26. She’ll represents the perennially dangerous Jaime Gomez barn, who has saddled a stakes record eight Robert Adair Kindergarten Futurity winners.

• Budder It Again Kev: Sired by KVN Corona and out of Budder Think Twice, the Jesus Avila-owned colt is trained by Valentin Zamudio and will start in race number five (trial four). Budder It Again Kev is a full brother of Beuteeful, last year’s Kindergarten winner. This family has a history of success in the Kindergarten. Their full brother, My Budd, ran second in this race in 2024, while another full brother, Think Again Kev, was third in 2023.

Summary of Top Kindergarten Clockings

Kindergarten Historical Context
The outstanding publication of TRACK Magazine’s The Monday Report provided earlier this week with this reminder of the historical importance of this race: The Kindergarten holds a special place in the California racing calendar. First contested in 1955—won by Art Pollard’s Arizonan—and graced in 1957 by the legendary war hero Audie Murphy and his winner Apache Agent, the race has evolved into the track’s premier early-season juvenile stakes. Its honor roll reads like a "Who’s Who" of American Quarter Horse legends: Jet Deck, Easy Date, Town Policy, First Down Dash, and Corona Cartel have all used this race as a springboard to immortality. More recently, stars like Carters Cartel, Walk Thru Crystal and KVN Corona have added their names to the trophy.

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

Would you like more industry news delivered directly to your inbox? Click here to sign up.