Governor's Cup Futurity tops stakes-filled card

In recent months, Ajs Anna Smoke, Stelfast, and Worth Doing were beaten in major futurities for Quarter Horses at Los Alamitos. They each rebounded to win one of the eight time trials for the Governor’s Cup Futurity on July 9, qualifying for the $387,500 final on Saturday.

They are three of the most prominent contenders for the 350-yard Governor’s Cup Futurity, the 11th and final race on a program for California-bred Quarter Horses.

Worth Doing was second in the Ed Burke Million Futurity on June 19, the gelding’s only loss in four career starts for owner Fawna Knight and trainer Mark Skeen. Ajs Anna Smoke was ninth in the Ed Burke and set the fastest qualifying time of 17.72 seconds in the Governor’s Cup trials.

Stelfast was seventh in the Kindergarten Futurity on May 15 and failed to qualify for the Ed Burke after finishing a troubled fourth in a division of the trials on June 5. In the Governor’s Cup trials, Stelfast overcame a bump with a rival to win by 1 1/4 lengths, his first victory in his fifth start.

There are three other major stakes on Saturday’s program.

Phoebes Dynasty and Thermonuclear Energy give owners Jay and Char Parsons and trainer Chris O’Dell a formidable duo in the $200,000 Governor’s Cup Derby at 400 yards.

Phoebes Dynasty won the 2015 Governor’s Cup Futurity and was a troubled fourth in a division of the Governor’s Cup Derby trials on July 10. Thermonuclear Energy was third in the Golden State Million Futurity last November and won a division of the Governor’s Cup Derby trials in his first start this year.

They are part of a Governor’s Cup Derby field led by the filly Fervents Dynasty, who set the fastest qualifying time of 19.91 seconds in the trials. Trained by Juan Aleman, Fervents Dynasty will have her stakes debut Saturday in her eighth start.

The most accomplished horse on the program is He Looks Hot, the favorite for the $100,000 Spencer Childers Handicap for older horses at 400 yards. He Looks Hot won the 2014 Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity and overcame two severe bouts with colic in 2015 to return to racing this year.

He Looks Hot won the Vessels Maturity on July 3, earning a berth in the $600,000 Champion of Champions in December. Trained by Scott Willoughby for track chairman Ed Allred, He Looks Hot has won 4 of 11 starts and earned $959,985.

He Looks Hot’s main rival in the Spencer Childers is Forget It, who was third in the Vessels Maturity and won three derbies in 2015, including the Governor’s Cup Derby.

Saturday’s leading race for fillies and mares is the $40,000 Matron Stakes at 400 yards.

Quirky, unraced since winning the Grade 1 Charger Bar Handicap in January, will be a heavy favorite in a field of six. Owned by Allred and trained by Willoughby, Quirky has won her last six starts against fillies and mares, including the 2015 Matron.

A 5-year-old, Quirky was sixth in the Champion of Champions last December, the nation’s leading race for older horses.