A Governor's Cup Futurity win would give De Alba a very rare double

In 2016, Cesar De Alba rode AJS Anna Smoke to victory in the Governor’s Cup Futurity, one of his 90 stakes wins at Los Alamitos.

De Alba retired at the end of the 2018 season to begin training. Saturday, De Alba has his first runner in a six-figure stakes when Favorite Colossus starts in the $400,000 Governor’s Cup Futurity at Los Alamitos.

A win would give De Alba the distinction of being the second person to win the Governor’s Cup Futurity as a jockey and trainer. Danny Cardoza rode Way Maker to a win in 1989 and trained Old Habits, who won the 1998 running.

De Alba, 38, has a small mixed stable of Quarter Horses and Thoroughbreds based at Los Alamitos. He is well known for riding the champion Quarter Horse Moonist in 2014 and 2015.

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Favorite Colossus was the stable’s first winner of 2020 in a division of the Governor’s Cup Futurity trials at 350 yards on July 11. Sent off at 10-1, Favorite Colossus won by a nose in 17.74 seconds, recording the second-fastest qualifying time.

Favorite Colossus was last of nine in a maiden special weight race at 300 yards on May 15 in his debut, and fifth in a division of the Ed Burke Million Futurity trials on June 7 before the breakthrough win in the Governor’s Cup Futurity trials.

Leading rider Jesus Ayala rode Favorite Colossus for the first time in the Governor’s Cup trials and has the mount on Saturday.

“It has taken him some time,” De Alba said of Favorite Colossus in an interview with Los Alamitos publicity on trial night. “I think he’s going to get better. Ayala said he may want to run a bit longer.”

Favorite Colossus is owned by Jeff and Michelle Cravens, who bred the colt in Oregon. Favorite Colossus is out of Warm It Up, a minor stakes winner De Alba rode to victory for the Cravenses in an allowance race at Los Alamitos in 2011.

In Saturday’s final, Favorite Colossus will start from post 5 in a field of 10. Seven of the finalists are by Favorite Cartel, a leading Quarter Horse stallion by Favorite Trick, the 1997 Thoroughbred Horse of the Year.

Untuckit, a gelding by Favorite Cartel, is the fastest qualifier to the Governor’s Cup Futurity and the likely favorite. He was timed in 17.71 seconds in the trials, recording his first win in his fourth start. He is trained by Chris O’Dell.

The Governor’s Cup Futurity is the last of eight races on Saturday evening. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.

The Saturday program was scheduled to include the Governor’s Cup Derby and Spencer Childers Championship for older horses, but those races have been moved to Sunday, the track said in a statement.