Rail post ideal for J Fire Up in Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity

CYPRESS, Calif. – Some Quarter Horses perform poorly when drawn inside. A slow start can lead to traffic issues compared to runners drawn farther out. Even with a clean break, there is always the possibility of being crowded from an inside post.

The 2-year-old filly J Fire Up seems to thrive on racing from the inside. In eight starts, she has started in posts 1 or 2 in five races. From those positions, she was second by a head in the Ed Burke Million Futurity in June and won the Governor’s Cup and Golden State Million futurities in July and November.

When an inside post was available earlier this week during the draw for Sunday’s $1,745,450 Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity, trainer Jaime Gomez seized the opportunity.

Post positions were selected by owners and trainers following a random draw for selection order. Gomez had the fourth selection with J Fire Up. The first three trainers chose 8 through 10. Gomez picked the rail for J Fire Up.

“She likes the inside,” Gomez said.

J Fire Up has been the leading 2-year-old filly in California this year, and can stake a claim to being the best 2-year-old in the state with a win in the Two Million Futurity at 400 yards.

J Fire Up is part of a field of 10 that includes Matilda Czech, who was beaten a nose by J Fire Up in the Golden State Million on Nov. 5, and Call Me Cole, who set the fastest qualifying time for Sunday’s race in time trials on Nov. 26.

Gomez owns J Fire Up with Dan Darling and Ernesto Solis. J Fire Up has won 6 of 8 starts and earned $714,962. The winner’s share of the Los Alamitos Two Million is $715,449.

J Fire Up remains in peak form despite a busy season, Gomez said.

“She’s come back better and better,” he said.

Call Me Cole was largely eliminated at the break after bumping with a rival in the Golden State Million Futurity, and finished seventh. Trainer Mike Robbins thinks Call Me Cole would have finished much closer with a clean trip.

“They took his spot,” Robbins said. “He’d have been in there.”

Owned by Gary McKinney’s Reliance Ranches, Call Me Cole is 3-1-1 from six starts. In the Nov. 26 time trials, Call Me Cole ran 400 yards in 19.72 seconds, winning by 2 1/4 lengths.

Call Me Cole breaks from the outside on Sunday, diminishing the likelihood of traffic trouble at the break.

Robbins said having J Fire Up all the way across the track will not be a hindrance to Call Me Cole, and that he does not need to run alongside another horse.

“Call Me Cole doesn’t need anything to run with,” Robbins said. “He runs just as good free.”