Geothermal has credentials to win Golden State Million Futurity

With one exception, Geothermal has all the necessary elements that handicappers look for in Sunday’s $1,072,850 Golden State Million Futurity at Los Alamitos.

Geothermal ran well in a major futurity earlier this year, finishing third by a neck in the $1,070,000 Ed Burke Million Futurity in June. The well-bred filly was later second in the Pat Hyland Memorial Handicap on Aug. 25 and won a division of the Golden State Million Futurity trials on Oct. 20 at 400 yards.

The only drawback is her final time of 19.94 seconds in the trials. Geothermal has only the seventh-fastest time of the 10 qualifiers, which may lead some bettors to prefer fastest qualifier Up and Atem, who was timed in 19.78 seconds when she recorded his third consecutive win.

Other leading contenders are Kiss Thru Fire, who was second to Up and Atem in the trials and was eighth in the $1 million Ruidoso Futurity in New Mexico in June, and Runforyourlife, who was second in the $365,000 Governor’s Cup Futurity in July and won a division of the time trials in 19.87 seconds.

Geothermal races for Parsons Ranch and trainer Chris O’Dell. By Parsons Rock, Geothermal is out of Terrific Energy, the dam of five stakes winners. A half-sister to Geothermal, Terra Fire, also is in the field for the Golden State Million. Terra Fire, trained by O’Dell, is by Walk Thru Fire. Terra Fire was fourth behind Up and Atem in the trials, and had the eighth-fastest qualifying time of 19.95 seconds. This will be the first major stake appearance for Terra Fire, who has one win in six starts.

Quarter Horses mares can be bred via embryo transfer, which can result in more than one foal from a mare in the same year.

Up and Atem, trained by Scott Willoughby for Los Alamitos track owner Ed Allred, has won 3 of 6 starts. A gelding by Favorite Cartel, Up and Atem has won three consecutive races, including a maiden win on Aug. 9 and an allowance on Sept. 7. Up and Atem beat Kiss Thru Fire by a nose in the trials.

The Golden State Million is the second of the three seven-figure futurities at Los Alamitos this year. The Ed Burke Million was the first, and the Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity will be run on Dec. 15.