Foose formidable in Million finals

The undefeated Ed Burke Million winner Foose heads a five-horse Paul Jones-trained contingent in the Grade 1, $1,386,500 Golden State Million on Saturday night at Los Alamitos.

Jones also saddles Inseperable, Winners Version, Revv It Up, and Splendifferous.

Foose, the solid favorite in the Golden State Million, is chasing the $1 million Los Alamitos Cash Bonanza that goes to connections of any horse who can win the Ed Burke Million, Golden State Million, and the Los Alamitos Two Million on Dec. 12. The Cash Bonanza has never been awarded.

Co-owned by Jones with Ed Allred, Foose is also chasing three-time Grade 1 futurity winner Stolis Winner in the race for champion 2-year-old colt. Stolis Winner has Grade 1 wins in the $1.9 million All American Futurity, the $1 million Heritage Place Futurity and the $625,000 Rainbow Futurity.

After Foose won the Ed Burke Million on June 21, he was rested to point to the Golden State Million trials. In his trial, he stumbled at the start, but still managed a head victory with a 19.560-second time for the 400 yards, the fastest time from 11 trials.

"When I saw how strong he finished I was relieved," said Jones. "He's young, fairly rested, and we knew he'd need the race. He should be better in the next race."

Inseperable, who was second behind Foose in their trial, and Winners Version each campaigned for Jones at Ruidoso Downs this summer before making their Los Alamitos debuts in the Golden State Million trials.

Inseperable has always been highly regarded in Jones's New Mexico camp and was the third-place finisher behind Stolis Winner in the Rainbow Futurity. His Golden State Million trial time of 19.585 seconds is the second-fastest time.

Winners Version was the only horse to qualify for the Ruidoso Futurity, Rainbow Futurity, and All American Futurity, the three Grade 1 futurities at Ruidoso Downs.

Revv It Up won the Grade 1 Kindergarten by a nose. The sister to Champion of Champions winner The Down Side has won 5 of 6 starts with a 10th-place finish in the Ed Burke Million when she was fractious in the gate.

Splendifferous won her maiden two starts back at Ruidoso Downs and was second in her Golden State Million trial.

The prime challengers to Jones's five entrants are third-fastest qualifier Nosecretwhosefirst and Ed Burke Juvenile winner Tres Passes.

Zia: Ketel Won heads Lovington

Jones also trains favored Ketel Won in the Grade 2, $55,000 Lovington Stakes on Saturday afternoon at Zia Park.

Last December, Ketel Won captured the Grade 1 Zia Park Championship and the Grade 1 The Championship at Sunland Park in successive starts to overwhelmingly win the champion aged horse and champion aged stallion titles.

In his latest eight starts, all in graded stakes, Ketel Won has five wins, a second, a third, and a fourth in the Grade 1 Refrigerator Handicap. He is preparing to defend his title in the Zia Park Championship on Dec. 7.