Terrific Temper passes test in Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity trials

The most important aspect of Terrific Temper’s win in a division of the Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity trials on Sunday was not necessarily the victory that gave her a berth in the $1,977,250 final on Dec. 13.

Instead, it was the relief trainer Chris O’Dell felt that the outstanding filly did not bleed in the race.

Terrific Temper bled when she won a division of the Pacific Coast Quarter Horse Racing Association Breeders’ Futurity on Sept. 13, which caused her to be placed on a 14-day veterinarian’s list. She was not entered in the $357,700 final on Oct. 3.

“That kind of broke my heart,” O’Dell recalled on Wednesday. “We’re pretty happy with her outcome the other night.”

In the last two months, O’Dell said he focused on rebuilding Terrific Temper’s lung strength. The filly’s feed program was changed and more vitamins were added to her diet, he said.

:: Click to learn about our DRF's Free Past Performance program.

“We tracked her a lot, almost every day to keep her heart and lungs working,” O’Dell said.

Terrific Temper ran 400 yards in 19.76 seconds in Sunday’s third trial, setting the seventh-fastest time. Apollitical Patty won a division in 19.64 seconds to set the fastest time among 98 trial starters.

O’Dell said a pre-race conversation with jockey Eduardo Nicasio was centered on doing enough to gain one of the 10 fastest times, but not at the expense of overtaxing Terrific Temper.

“We wanted to qualify by all means,” he said. “Our plan was not to use her too hard, if possible. You could do that and have the 12th fastest time. Nicasio knows what he’s doing. He tried to let her coast in a little bit. We were trying to test out to see if she would bleed or not.

“We’re walking on air right now. We feel very happy.”

The Los Alamitos Two Million is the track’s richest race, and draws trial race runners from throughout the country.

The finalists include Apollitical Gold, who was third in the $3 million All American Futurity at Ruidoso Downs on Sept. 7 and the winner of the Golden State Million Futurity at Los Alamitos on Nov. 1; Monopolist, who won the PCQHRA Breeders’ Futurity; and Aint She Tempting, who was second in the Golden State Million.

Terrific Temper, who races for Jay Parsons and his family, has won 2 of 6 starts and earned $198,072. She earned the bulk of that prize money with a second-place finish in the $1,075,000 Ed Burke Million Futurity in June. A potentially bigger payday is weeks away.