Los Alamitos: Wood holding three aces for Two Million Futurity

CYPRESS, Calif. – Viva Mi Corazon, Ms First Prize Rose, and Dash Through Fire give owner Johnny Trotter and trainer Trey Wood an all-star team for Sunday’s Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity.

They represent the three fastest qualifiers for the 400-yard final from the 111 horses that ran in 14 time trials on Nov. 24.

“I think they all have a shot,” Wood said, diplomatically, from his Texas base on Thursday evening. “It’s which one of them gets the best trip away from there.”

Wood’s three runners are part of a field of 10 in the Two Million, the richest Quarter Horse race in California. Viva Mi Corazon is expected to be a slight favorite over Ms First Prize Rose. They are co-owned by Trotter and Burnett Ranches. Trotter is the sole owner of Dash Through Fire.

Viva Mi Corazon, who set the fastest qualifying time of 19.51 seconds, won the $425,000 Pacific Coast Quarter Horse Racing Association Breeders’ Futurity at Los Alamitos on Oct. 5, his first major stakes win. Earlier this year, Viva Mi Corazon failed to qualify for the Ruidoso, Rainbow, and All American futurities.

Wood said that Viva Mi Corazon has thrived in California this fall.

“I think he left there a little better in the trials than in the futurity,” Wood said. “He likes it in California.”

Ms First Prize Rose is the most accomplished of the Wood runners. She won the $1 million Rainbow Futurity at Ruidoso Downs on July 21 and was turned out for the rest of the summer after grabbing a quarter. Her win in the time trials on Nov. 24 was her first start since the Rainbow.

“She’s grown up a lot,” Wood said. “I think [the break] did her a world of good.”

Dash Through Fire won a 300-yard maiden race in a quick 15.25 seconds on Oct. 13 and was an easy winner of the first time trial Nov. 24.

“She ran the fastest [300-yard] maiden race at Los Alamitos all year,” Wood said. “She didn’t surprise us too much when she won her trial.”

Trainer Jose de la Torre has four finalists – A Corona Sunset, Collin the Shots, Foose Cash Sr, and Highest Fire. Earlier this week, he ranked Collin the Shots and Foose Cash Sr as his best chances.

The race has one other major futurity winner in Five Bar Cartel, who won the Ed Burke Million Futurity in June. Five Bar Cartel was a troubled fifth in the Golden State Million on Nov. 2, but rebounded to win a trial race Nov. 24.

“If we get a clean start, I think we can go heads up with anybody,” owner Jorge Carmona said.