Jess Im Worth It overcomes bad start to upset Ed Burke Futurity
CYPRESS, Calif. – Dismissed at 8-1, Jess Im Worth It overcame an awkward start to win Sunday’s $1,040,000 Ed Burke Million Futurity, the first of three seven-figure Quarter Horse races at Los Alamitos this year.
Starting from the inside post, Jess Im Worth It broke toward the rail, but quickly recovered under jockey Ricardo Ramirez. Trailing by approximately a half-length after the first 100 yards, Jess Im Worth It closed steadily to win by three-quarters of a length over 8-1 French Valley, who led early.
Jess Im Worth It ($19.40) ran 350 yards in 17.58 seconds. Shiny New, the 8-5 favorite and the fastest qualifier from 12 time trials on May 25, finished third, beaten a length.
The win was worth $420,000 to owner and breeder Enrique Gonzalez, who races as EG High Desert Farm. Jess Im Worth It is trained by Jesus Nunez.
A colt by A Mere Felix, Jess Im Worth It has won 3 of 4 starts and earned $428,055. Jess Im Worth It was a troubled fifth in his debut in a 300-yard maiden race on April 12 and won a 300-yard maiden race on May 3. In the Ed Burke trials, Jess Im Worth It won by two lengths in 17.77 seconds, good enough for the fifth-fastest qualifying time in a field of 10.
Jess Im Worth It gave Gonzalez his third win in the Ed Burke. His stable won the race with Hawkish in 2003 and Walk Thru Crystal in 2015.
Gonzalez said in the winner’s circle on Sunday that Jess Im Worth It will be pointed for the track’s two leading futurities later this year. The Golden State Million will be run on Oct. 26, while the Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity is scheduled for Dec. 14.
Fields for both races will be determined by time trials run weeks in advance of the finals.
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