Cartel Jess Rockin springs 20-1 upset in Two Million Futurity at Los Alamitos

CYPRESS, Calif. - Cartel Jess Rockin, a filly winless in six starts since May, gave a pair of 81-year-old horsemen – owner Ron Hartley and trainer John Cooper – their richest victory with an upset in Sunday’s $1,903,275 Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity.

The win was also a career milestone for jockey Juan Pablo Leon, a 20-year-old from Mexico who has been in the United States for three years and has become more established in recent months at Los Alamitos.

Cartel Jess Rockin ($42.40) broke well and caught early leader Cattail Cove (7-1) in the final 100 yards to win by a half-length, finishing 400 yards in 19.62 seconds. Cattail Cove finished a neck in front of 9-2 Flokie, who won the $1,070,000 Ed Burke Million Futurity at Los Alamitos in June.

Runforyourlife, the winner of the $1,072,850 Golden State Million Futurity, finished seventh of 10 after a slow start.

Cattail Cove fell while galloping out on the backstretch, but was on his feet quickly and ran approximately 100 yards before he was caught. Cattail Cover was vanned to trainer Juan Aleman’s stable as a precaution.

Cartel Jess Rockin has won 3 of 9 starts and earned $840,640. She was second by a nose to Flokie in a division of the Los Alamitos Two Million time trials on Nov. 24. Earlier this year, Cartel Jess Rockin was fourth in the $361,700 Kindergarten Futurity in May and $365,000 Governor’s Cup Futurity in July.

Hartley and Cooper are well-known as the owner and trainer of the late gelding Moonist, the champion 3-year-old of 2014 and champion aged Quarter Horse of 2015.