The late development of Ilhusion Eagle as a 2-year-old last year may be ideal for the opening months of his 3-year-old season. Ilhusion Eagle won a maiden special weight race at 300 yards on Dec. 18 and will start from the rail in an allowance race at the same distance in Sunday’s eighth race at Los Alamitos. Ilhusion Eagle is nominated for the Maiden Stakes, which is restricted to horses that were maidens as of Dec. 1. The time trials are Jan. 31 with a final, estimated to have a purse of $125,000, on Feb. 21. :: Want to get your Past Performances for free? Click to learn more. Trained by Jaime Gomez, Ilhusion Eagle is part of a field of six in Sunday’s allowance race and is one of two runners who won their last start. Jess Corona Master won a maiden special weight race at 300 yards in his ninth start on Nov. 14. Ilhusion Eagle, who was bred in Mexico and races for Salome Gallegos, began his career with trainer Wes Giles at Ruidoso Downs in New Mexico. In four starts there from June to late August, Ilhusion Eagle’s best result was a third in a maiden race in his debut in June. On Aug. 22, Ilhusion Eagle finished third in a division of the All American Futurity trials, but was disqualified and placed ninth for interference. Ilhusion Eagle was transferred to Gomez in the fall. The gelding finished second in a division of the Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity trials on Nov. 22, but did not earn a spot in the final. Aside from Jess Corona Master, Ilhusion Eagle’s leading rival Sunday will be the filly Heatedly, who was second in an allowance race at the brief distance of 110 yards on Dec. 5. Trained by Scott Willoughby, Heatedly was fourth by a neck in a 330-yard allowance race in her preceding start on Nov. 6, a better indication of her ability than the hiccup of a race on Dec. 5. Powerline Road, who drew the outside post, must have a clean start to play a meaningful role. Trained by Mike Casselman, Powerline Road was fourth in an allowance race on Dec. 19 after breaking sharply to her outside and bumping with a rival. Sunday’s eight-race program may include a $10,000 start to the $2 pick six. The track is adding $10,000 to the pick six pool on Sundays on programs that do not have a carryover, a promotion that continues through January.