Gomez sends fearsome-looking foursome

Trainer Jaime Gomez was not surprised that he qualified four of the 10 finalists for Saturday's $300,000 Kindergarten Futurity at Los Alamitos.

"It was one off the easiest trials I've seen in the last three or four years," he said. "I really like my chances."

Gomez, 58, should know what it takes to win the Kindergarten. He has won the race six times, and has a team of qualifiers capable of providing him with a seventh. Gomez will start fastest qualifier Effectiveimmediately, the gelding Twin Spires, the colt Dig Down Deep, and the filly Notawalkbehinder. All four won a division of the trials on May 2.

Effectiveimmediately, Dig Down Deep and Notawalkbehinder are owned by the List family's Double Bar S Ranch, which is seeking its second Kindergarten win. Twin Spires is owned by the Dutch Masters partnership, which won the Kindergarten three times from 2000 to 2005.

Gomez declined to rank his candidates earlier this week, but said that Effectiveimmediately, one of five horses in the field that is unbeaten after two starts, will be a factor in the last half of the 300-yard race.

"She has a little more kick at the end," he said.

Effectiveimmediately was timed in 15.435 seconds in the trials, winning by a length over Runaway Tyme, who also qualified for Saturday's final. The 10 fastest finishers from seven trials, regardless of finishing positions, earned berths in the final. Sixth-fastest qualifier Magical Night will not run back in the final.

As for Notawalkbehinder, also unbeaten after two starts, a clean start will be imperative, Gomez said. She stumbled in her maiden win on April 11 and again in the trials, when she was timed in 15.53 seconds, the third fastest qualifying time.

"The filly was a little backwards at the gate," Gomez said.

Jockey Alejandro Luna was aboard all four Gomez horses in the trials. Luna chose to ride Twin Spires.

Aside from Gomez's quartet and Runaway Tyme, the other qualifiers are Azshecanfly, Its All About FDD, Magical Night, Tylerite, and Butterfly Kisses. Azshecanfly, trained by Christopher O'Dell, and Tylerite, trained by Blane Schvaneveldt, won divisions of the trials and are unbeaten in two starts, having each won a maiden race last month.