Breakdown mars First Down Illusion's upset

First Down Illusion pulled an upset in Saturday's $1,024,000 Ed Burke Million Futurity for 2-year-old Quarter Horses at Los Alamitos, a race marred by a fatal breakdown to 3-1 favorite Leave the Scene after the finish.

First Down Illusion ($60.80) ran 350 yards in 17.24 seconds, finishing a half-length in front of the well-regarded Flying Fig, the 4-1 second choice. Personal Glory finished third in the field of nine.

Leave the Scene, the 3-1 favorite and fastest qualifier from the June 5 trials, finished sixth, 1 3/4 lengths behind First Down Illusion. Leave the Scene suffered an injury to his left foreleg shortly after the finish, causing a two-horse spill with last-place finisher Star in the East. Neither G.R. Carter, Jr., who rode Leave the Scene, or Ramon Sanchez, who rode Star in the East, appeared to be injured. Leave the Scene was euthanized.

First Down Illusion is trained by Adan Farias for David and Ross Hinkins. David Hinkins is a Utah state senator. First Down Illusion, by First Down Dash, won for the first time in five starts in the Ed Burke Million. The colt has earned $433,125; his total before Saturday's race was $3,045. He was second in the trials behind Leave the Scene.

The Ed Burke was the first seven-figure futurity win for the owners and Farias, who is best known as the trainer of reigning Quarter Horse World Champion Freaky.

Blues Man Too to Champion of Champions

Friday, Blues Man Too earned a berth to the $750,000 Champion of Champions in December with an upset win in the $139,600 Vessels Maturity for older horses.

The winner of the Vessels Maturity earns an automatic berth to the Champion of Champions.

Blues Man Too ($31.20) finished a head in front of A Streakinson, the 3-5 favorite in the field of 10. Blues Man Too ran 400 yards in 19.34 seconds under jockey Santiago Mendez.

Blues Man Too races for Manuel Carmona, Jr., and is trained by Danny Montes. A 4-year-old gelding by Holland Ease, Blues Man Too has won 4 of 18 starts and $100,849. The Vessels Maturity came on the one-year anniversary of Blues Man Too's win in a $25,000 claimer at Los Alamitos.