Los Alamitos: Winning team spreads its chances in Ed Burke Million Futurity

In 2012, the partnership of Jorge Carmona and brothers Jose and Gustavo de la Torre won the Ed Burke Million Futurity at Los Alamitos with One Dashing Eagle. One Dashing Eagle went on to win the All American and Golden State Million futurities, and was named the World Champion Running Quarter Horse for 2012.

In Sunday’s $1,111,000 Burke Futurity, the owners are back again – as a team and competing separately.

Carmona owns the undefeated gelding Masherati B, who is trained by Jose de la Torre. Carmona, who races as San Gregorio Racing Stable, also owns qualifier Five Bar Cartel, trained by Danny Montes.

The de la Torre brothers own Fire Up Willie, who is trained by Jose de la Torre. In addition, Jose de la Torre starts fastest qualifier Turbulent Times, who is unbeaten in two starts for owners Jesus Avila and Jesus Cuevas.

The Burke Futurity, run at 350 yards, is the first of three seven-figure futurities to be held at Los Alamitos this year. The Golden State Million will be run in November, while the Los Alamitos Two Million is run in December.

Turbulent Times ran 350 yards in 17.40 seconds in the time trials on June 9. He won his debut in a 300-yard maiden race at Los Alamitos on April 26.

The owners bought Turbulent Times as a weanling because of his bloodlines. Turbulent Times is a half-brother to Testing the Ice, whom the partners race. Testing the Ice was fourth in the All American Derby at Ruidoso Downs last year.

There will be support for Docs First Fire, Five Bar Cartel, and Unchangeable in the Burke.

Docs First Fire, who broke from the rail, was a trial race winner.

Five Bar Cartel is unbeaten in two starts. He was timed in 17.64 seconds in a division of the time trials, winning by a length at 1-5 odds.

Unchangeable was second by a half-length to Turbulent Times in the trial. Unchangeable is trained by Rafael Orozco, a long-time assistant to the legendary trainer Blane Schvaneveldt, who died in 2010.