Double Down 123 keeps Young and Arrossa's Kindergarten streak alive
For the third consecutive year, a filly co-owned by Randy Young and trained by Monty Arrossa has won the first futurity of the year in California.
On Sunday at Los Alamitos, Double Down 123 ($26.80) held off a threat from 6-5 favorite Racy Sweet Corona to win the $275,900 Kindergarten Futurity by a head.
Racy Sweet Corona was the fastest qualifier from time trials on April 23, finishing 300 yards in 15.57 seconds. Double Down 123 was fourth in a division of the trials, and had the 10th and final qualifying time of 15.79 seconds.
In the final, Double Down 123 broke from the outside in a field of nine, with Racy Sweet Corona in the adjacent gate. The pair were away well and dueled through 300 yards, with Double Down 123 finishing in 15.43 seconds. Armando Cervantes rode Double Down 123.
Racy Sweet Corona is trained by Jaime Gomez, who has won the Kindergarten a record eight times.
Think Again Kev (2-1) finished third, a half-length behind Racy Sweet Corona. Think Again Kev was beaten for the first time in his third start in the Kindergarten, and was one of three unbeaten runners in the field for owner Keith Nellesen and trainer Heath Taylor. A fourth such runner, Political Rivalry, was scratched on Sunday in favor of the Ed Burke Million Futurity trials on May 28, Taylor said.
Double Down 123, by first-year stallion Flying Cowboy 123, races for Young of Erda, Utah, and Taos River Ranch of Oklahoma. The filly was second in a 220-yard maiden race on April 1 before the Kindergarten trials.
Double Down 123 has earned $118,260. Arrossa and Young teamed with co-owner Dennis Jensen to win the 2021 Kindergarten with First Fast Honey and last year with Valianti.
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