Inside post makes Cartel Sixes' job tougher in Golden State Million Futurity

Cartel Sixes ran his best race when he won a division of the Golden State Million Futurity trials Oct. 16 at Los Alamitos. He may need to exceed that effort in Sunday’s $1,016,250 Golden State Million final for 2-year-old Quarter Horses.

Cartel Sixes drew the rail in a field of 10, a post position trainer Jaime Gomez hoped to avoid. Cartel Sixes broke from post 7 in a field of eight in the 400-yard time trial, winning by 2 1/4 lengths in 19.73 seconds.

The Golden State Million Futurity will be the first time Cartel Sixes has started from the inside post and will be his second major stakes final. Cartel Sixes was seventh behind the Gomez-trained Chazaq in the Ed Burke Million Futurity on June 19.

Chazaq won a division of the Golden State Million trials, but had the 14th fastest time. Runners with the 10 fastest times, regardless of finishing positions, advanced to Sunday’s final.

Cartel Sixes had sore shins and was gelded after the Ed Burke Million Futurity. Gomez told Los Alamitos publicity earlier this month that Cartel Sixes was calmer after being gelded.

“He was very hot-headed before being gelded and he could be very mean,” he said. “He changed a lot after he got gelded. He behaves so much better in the saddling paddock and concentrates so much more.”

Cartel Sixes, the fastest qualifier for the Golden State Million, races for Pam and Jim Williams and has won 2 of 5 starts and earned $50,200.

Even without Chazaq, Cartel Sixes faces several talented rivals, notably Tarzanito, the second-fastest qualifier; Ajs Anna Smoke, who won the Governor’s Cup Futurity on July 30; Worth Doing and Lotta Blues Man, who were second and third in the Ed Burke Million Futurity; and Six Zeroes, who was third in the Pacific Coast Quarter Horse Racing Association Breeders’ Futurity on Oct. 1.

The Golden State Million will be the stakes debut for Tarzanito, who has won his last three starts. He was timed in 19.83 in the time trials.

Worth Doing, a trial race winner in 19.93, was second in the Governor’s Cup Futurity. Trained by Mark Skeen, Worth Doing has won 4 of 6 starts and earned $257,650, the most in the Golden State Million field.