Los Alamitos: Five Bar Cartel gets layoff ahead of rich fall races

CYPRESS, Calif. – Five Bar Cartel’s hard-fought win in the $1,071,000 Ed Burke Million Futurity at Los Alamitos last Sunday will lead to a lengthy rest for the undefeated 2-year-old Quarter Horse.

There is too much money at stake in the fall.

Trainer Danny Montes said Tuesday that Five Bar Cartel will not race again this summer and that the remainder of his 2013 campaign will focus on giving the colt a chance to become the first horse to sweep the three seven-figure futurities at Los Alamitos – the Ed Burke, the Golden State Million in November, and the Los Alamitos Two Million in December.

No horse has swept the three-race series since the Los Alamitos Two Million was inaugurated in 1995.

Montes said he would like to give Five Bar Cartel a prep race before the time trials for the 400-yard Golden State Million on Oct. 20.

“We need to get a race before then,” Montes said.

Five Bar Cartel was a milestone winner of the Ed Burke. Owner Jorge Carmona, who races as San Gregorio Racing Stable, became the first owner in the 63-year history of the race to win consecutive runnings. In 2012, Carmona was part of the ownership team that won the Ed Burke with One Dashing Eagle, who later won the All American and Golden State futurities and was named World Champion Running Quarter Horse.

In the 350-yard Ed Burke, Five Bar Cartel caught race leader Unchangeable in the final stride to win by a nose. Five Bar Cartel was timed in 17.254 seconds; Unchangeable in 17.256.

“We got a good break, but Unchangeable outbroke us and had the lead for 349 yards,” winning jockey Saul Ramirez Jr. said.

Carmona, watching trackside, was not sure whether his colt had won.

“My heart was beating so hard,” he said. “Everyone said, ‘You won it.’ I said, ‘Are you sure?’ ”

For Montes, 33, the Ed Burke was the richest win of his career. He has horses based at Los Alamitos and Les Bois Park in Idaho.

Carmona said he acquired Five Bar Cartel privately in February. The colt had a rushed training schedule to be ready for the early-season 2-year-old races. Five Bar Cartel beat maidens in his debut May 19 and won a division of the Ed Burke time trials June 9.

By Corona Cartel, Five Bar Cartel has earned $455,650.