Closing day highlights 2-year-olds

Arapahoe Park in Aurora, Colo., will close out its meet Sunday with a toast to youth. The track has saved its most noted races for 2-year-olds - the $30,000 Gold Rush Futurity at six furlongs and the $100,000 Mile High Futurity for Quarter Horses - for the final card.

Kenneth Gleason, who is the meet's leading trainer, has three representatives in the Gold Rush. E F Five is the most accomplished member of the 12-horse field, having won his maiden in the $37,000 Colorado Thoroughbred Breeders' Association Futurity in his second start July 11.

"He's a pretty nice horse," Gleason said. "The first time he ran, he got left in the gate pretty bad. He came through all those horses and ran second. The next time, he got in the clear and took off."

E F Five won by 2 1/4 lengths over the Gleason-trained Toccing Man, who had won the first two starts of his career heading into the July 11 race. The third-place finisher from the race, Blastitary, came back to win the $27,000 Silver Cup Futurity by 11 lengths on July 25.

Imatrubador, a first-time starter by Yonaguska, complete Gleason's lineup for the Gold Rush. Also in the field is Boys Are Whatever, a daughter of Wiseman's Ferry who won her debut by 11 3/4 lengths in her last start July 11. She is trained by Terry Vondy.

Yeah Ima Leader will be seeking his fourth straight win when he starts in the Grade 2 Mile High, a 400-yard race. He won his trial for the race on July 24 and prior to that took the Grade 3 Cherry Creek Futurity.