Three top juveniles go for title

It is rare that the reigning winner of the All American Futurity is not an overwhelming favorite in a late-season stakes, but then there are few races that have the depth of Friday's Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity for Quarter Horses.

The race has drawn the winners of three seven-figure races - No Secrets Here, the winner of the All American Futurity at Ruidoso Downs in September; FDD Dynasty, the winner off the Ed Burke Memorial Futurity at Los Alamitos in June; and Jess You and I, the winner of the Golden Gate Million at Los Alamitos in November.

Should one of those three win Friday's 400-yard race, they would be named the champion 2-year-old Quarter Horse.

All three won their respective trials, but Jess You and I will probably go favored.

Trained by Jaime Gomez, Jess You and I is unbeaten in five starts. He set the third-fastest qualifying time of 19.53 seconds in the Los Alamitos Two Million trials.

Jess You and I has been well-regarded since he won a 300-yard maiden race by two lengths in his debut on July 28. Gomez's enthusiasm over the gelding has increased in recent months.

"He's ready," Gomez said. "Since the trials, we took him to the track two or three times, stood him at the gate. This is a super racehorse."

FDD Dynasty lost a chance for a $1 million bonus for sweeping the Ed Burke, Golden State, and Los Alamitos Million futurities when he finished third by 1 1/4 lengths behind Jess You and I in the Golden State Million.

FDD Dynasty returned to set the fastest qualifying time of 19.47 seconds in the Nov. 24 trials.

No Secrets Here, third in the Ed Burke, won the All American by a neck and his Nov. 24 trial by 3 1/4 lengths in 19.49 seconds. Trainer Paul Jones said the trial was an ideal prep race, but realizes that No Secrets Here must be flawless on Friday.

"It takes a little luck when there are so many good horses," Jones said. "One little mistake and it could hurt."

The Futurity is the second leg of a unique pick four that covers three days of racing. The Champions pick four, which has a guaranteed pool of $50,000, begins with Friday's $35,000 Los Alamitos Juvenile, and continues with Saturday's $600,000 Champion of Champions and Sunday's $192,000 Southern California Derby.