The gamble of the year in Quarter Horse racing may produce a payoff of $361,200 for Utah owner Keith Nellesen in Sunday’s $900,000 Ed Burke Futurity at Los Alamitos. Nellesen owns Political Rivalry, the fastest qualifier for the 350-yard race from time trials on May 28. Political Rivalry qualified for the $275,900 Kindergarten Futurity at Los Alamitos on May 14, but was held out of that final with the hope he would qualify for the Burke. Nellesen and trainer Heath Taylor had three other finalists in the Kindergarten. Think Again Kev led their team with a third-place finish. Political Rivalry, by Kvn Corona, will be favored in the Burke on the basis of his trial win in 17.71 seconds. Unbeaten in three starts, Political Rivalry is Nellesen’s only runner in the Burke, the first of three major futurities at Los Alamitos this year. The Golden State Million Futurity will be run in November, followed by the Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity in December. :: Get ready for summer racing with a DRF Formulator Quarterly PP plan Taylor said the depth of his team in the Kindergarten made for an easier decision to skip the race with Political Rivalry. “It’s not very wise to scratch because these races are very difficult to qualify” for, Taylor told Los Alamitos publicity on May 28. “He probably was the best of the bunch, but that doesn’t mean that he would have won.” Political Rivalry will be ridden for the first time by Rodrigo Vallejo, who frequently rides Taylor’s leading runners. Jose Nicasio rode Political Rivalry in his first three starts and has the mount on the Taylor-trained Hot Prodigy in the Burke. Nicasio was aboard Think Again Kev last month. Hot Prodigy won a division of the Burke trials in 17.77 for the third-fastest qualifying time. Owned by Fulton Quien Sabe Ranch of Texas, Hot Prodigy will break from post 7 in the 10-runner Burke, one stall to the inside of Political Rivalry. Only four other trainers have runners in the final. Paul Jones, who has won the race four times, has three qualifiers, notably Kevins Wise Corona, the impressive winner of a trial in 17.74. Trainer Jose Flores won the 2014 Burke with Heza Dasha Fire and starts a half-brother to that champion gelding in Heza Good Reason, a trial race winner in 17.79. Flores also runs the outsider Change Happens, who was third to Political Rivalry in the trials. Trainer Juan Aleman, who won the Burke last year, has two starters in trial race winners Seperate Heart (17.84) and Hrh Royal Cartel (17.87). Monty Arrossa, who won the 2021 Burke, runs the improving colt Stanley Cartel, a trial race winner in 17.79. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.