Top qualifier to miss Governor's Cup

The $400,000 Governor's Cup Futurity on Saturday at Los Alamitos, the richest race on a night dedicated to California-bred Quarter Horses, will be run without fastest qualifier My Buddie.

Trainer Mike Joiner said Wednesday that My Buddie emerged from his win in the July 13 time trials with sore shins, which will prevent him from starting in the 350-yard final.

"We'll give him some time off and go from there," Joiner said.

The absence of My Buddie leaves the Governor's Cup Futurity with a field of nine, all of whom are searching for their first stakes win. Bikers Bono will inherit the role of favorite based on his win in the trials and undefeated record after three starts. Trained by Chuck Treece, Bikers Bono is making his stakes debut.

Joiner has a candidate in First Icy Morn, who was a troubled third behind Bikers Bono in the trials.

"He's got quite a bit of talent," Joiner said. "He's been an immature horse mentally. In the Governor's Cup Futurity trials, he drew the outside and tried to duck in."

First Icy Morn starts from post 9 and has horses starting on both sides of him.

"I think it will help him quite a bit," Joiner said of starting between horses.

The 13-race program features two major races that have implications for the $1 million Champion of Champions in December.

Apollitical Time, the 2006 champion older horse, makes her first start since January in the $164,100 Spencer Childers California Breeders' Championship over 400 yards.

A 5-year-old mare who won four major stakes last year, Apollitical Time must beat Catchmeinyour-dreams, an 8-year-old gelding who went past $1 million in career earnings with a win in an allowance race earlier this month.

Apollitical Time and Catchmeinyourdreams are being pointed for the Champion of Champions.

Apollitical Time was nearly retired last January after finishing third as the 2-5 favorite in the Charger Bar Handicap, her most recent start.

"Maybe she was just tired," trainer Juan Aleman said. "If she runs well, we'll keep running her. If not, we'll stop on her. She sure is aggressive around the barn. It looks like she wants to run."

Aleman said he wanted to give Apollitical Time a prep race before the Childers Championship, but none filled.

In the $170,000 Governor's Cup Derby over 400 yards, FDD Dynasty, the champion 2-year-old colt of 2006, makes his 3-year-old stakes debut. Trained by Joiner, FDD Dynasty set the fastest qualifying time of 19.46 seconds in the July 14 trials. The race was his first since finishing second in the Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity last December.

Joiner said FDD Dynasty underwent surgery to have bone chips removed from an ankle after the December race. He is hoping that the Governor's Cup Derby can serve as a springboard to a late-season campaign that includes a start in the Champion of Champions.

"He seems to be a more mature horse," Joiner said. "He made some minor mistakes last year. I actually expect him to be better this year than last year."