Runforyourlife gunning for second futurity win in Los Alamitos Two Million

CYPRESS, Calif. – Runforyourlife did not begin his career in a fashion suggesting he would start in Sunday’s $1,903,272 Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity.

“He was afraid of his own shadow,” trainer Chris O’Dell said earlier this week.

Runforyourlife, who races for Connie Rosenthal, was eighth and seventh in his first two starts. In six subsequent races, Runforyourlife has won five times, including the $1,072,850 Golden State Million Futurity at Los Alamitos on Nov. 3.

In the Nov. 24 time trials for the Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity, Runforyourlife won his division by 1 1/4 lengths, running 400 yards in 19.86 seconds, quick enough to earn a berth in the final. The difference between the start of his career and the present has been time and the elimination of blinkers earlier this year, O’Dell said.

Runforyourlife was fitted with the blinkers in his first two starts. In his third race, Runforyourlife beat maidens over 300 yards in June without blinkers.

“We experimented a little bit and thought, let’s see what happens,” O’Dell said. “He got a good, clean break and that built his heart up and gave him a lot of confidence.”

Runforyourlife, who was bought for $100,000 as a yearling, has earned $508,702, the most among the 10 finalists. Flokie, the winner of the $1,070,000 Ed Burke Million Futurity in June, has earned $480,900 and won a division of the time trials on Nov. 24.

There are eight trial race winners and two second-place finishers in the Los Alamitos Two Million.

Nomadic, owned by track chairman Ed Allred and trained by Scott Willoughby, was the fastest qualifier from the time trials, with a time of 19.67 seconds. Nomadic has won 3 of 5 starts. He was fifth in a minor stakes on Nov. 3, breaking slowly but closing to finish within three-quarters of a length.

“He came flying at the end,” Willoughby said. “It set him up well for the [Two Million] trials.”

This will be the third futurity appearance for Kiss Thru Fire, who finished eighth in the $1 million Ruidoso Futurity in June, and fifth in the Golden State Million Futurity after a troubled start.

In the Los Alamitos Two Million trials, Kiss Thru Fire closed well to win by a nose, ending a three-race losing streak. Kiss Thru Fire, one of two fillies in the Los Alamitos Two Million, is not the best at the gate, but can finish well, trainer Juan Aleman said.

“Hopefully, she can catch them at the end,” Aleman said.

The Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity is the final race on the program and will be the final call of announcer Ed Burgart’s career. Burgart is retiring after Sunday.