Political Rivalry had a near perfect season as a 2-year-old in 2023, winning his first six starts, including two futurities, before he finished a troubled fifth in a division of the Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity trials in November in his final start. Any question about Political Rivalry’s form ended when the gelding rebounded to win a division of the El Primero Del Ano Derby trials at 400 yards on March 3 at Los Alamitos. Not only did Political Rivalry win the time trial by an eye-catching 1 1/2 lengths, he set the fastest qualifying time of 19.85 seconds for Sunday’s $204,200 final. :: Bet the races with a $200 First Deposit Match + FREE All Access PPs! Join DRF Bets. Trained by Heath Taylor for owner and breeder Keith Nellesen, Political Rivalry will be a strong favorite Sunday. In his brief career, Political Rivalry has been outstanding in lucrative races. He won his stakes debut in the $900,000 Ed Burke Million Futurity last June and the $265,000 PCQHRA Breeders’ Futurity in October. Those races were at 350 yards at Los Alamitos. Political Rivalry won at 400 yards for the first time in the El Primero Del Ano Derby trial and handled the distance easily. In Sunday’s finale, Political Rivalry starts from post 7 in a field of 10, will be ridden by Jose Nicasio, and is one of three trial race winners in the field. Trial winners Five Bar Supreme (19.96) and Sc Time to Run (19.88) start from the inside two post positions. Five Bar Supreme overcame a troubled start to win a trial by a nose at 1-5 in his first outing since a game second to Trane Station V in the $1.8 million Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity at 400 yards in December. Five Bar Supreme started from the inside post in the Two Million Futurity, experience that should benefit the gelding on Sunday. Trained by Lindolfo Diaz, Five Bar Supreme has a consistent record of seven wins in 10 starts, including minor stakes wins in the Firecracker Futurity at Grants Pass in Oregon last July and the Wild West Futurity at Los Alamitos in October. Political Rivalry and Five Bar Supreme are the only stakes winners in the El Primero Del Ano Derby field. Sc Time to Run starts in a major stakes for the first time in the El Primero Del Ano Derby. Winless in six starts as a 2-year-old, Sc Time to Run is unbeaten in two starts this year, beginning with a win in a maiden race at 300 yards on Feb. 3. The March 3 trial, a win by 1 1/4 lengths, was Sc Time to Run’s first win at 400 yards in his third start at the distance. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.