Top two from Ed Burke Futurity among runners in trials for Golden State Million Futurity
Golden Boi and In Hott Pursuit, the first two finishers of the Ed Burke Million Futurity in June, and Jess Dream of Me, sixth in the $3 million All American Futurity at Ruidoso Downs on Sept. 6, are three of the most prominent runners in 11 time trials on Sunday for the $1.11 million Golden State Million Futurity at Los Alamitos.
The runners with the 10 fastest times in the 400-yard trials, regardless of finishing positions, advance to the Oct. 31 final, although there are unlikely to be many second- or third-place finishers in the final. Last year, six of the 10 finalists were trial race winners.
Golden Boi, trained by Valentin Zamudio, has started once since winning the $1.12 million Burke, finishing a troubled third at 1-5 after stumbling at the start of the California Breeders’ Freshman Stakes at 350 yards on Aug. 1.
Golden Boi starts in Sunday’s second race, the first division of the trials. He races against Hallelujah Nights, who was last of 10 in the Burke and third in the $200,000 All American Juvenile at Ruidoso Downs, the consolation to the All American Futurity, on Sept. 6.
The field for the first trial includes Trapper Jon, fourth in the $926,500 Remington Park Oklahoma-Bred Futurity in April. Trapper Jon is trained by Eddie Willis, who won the 2020 Golden State Million Futurity with Apollitical Gold.
Trapper Jon was fourth by a length after a poor start in an allowance race at 300 yards at Los Alamitos on Sept. 25 in his first start since early May.
Jess Dream of Me finished four lengths behind KJ Desparado in the All American Futurity at 440 yards, his final start of the year for trainer Clinton Crawford. Earlier in the summer, Jess Dream of Me won a division of the Rainbow Futurity trials in July, but did not qualify for the final, and a division of the All American Futurity trials.
Jess Dream of Me recently joined trainer Jose Flores at Los Alamitos.
In Hott Pursuit, trained by Monty Arrossa, was beaten a length by Golden Boi in the Ed Burke. In his lone subsequent start, In Hott Pursuit won a division of the All American Futurity trials on Aug. 20, but did not qualify for the final.
In Hott Pursuit did earn a spot in the $200,000 consolation, but was withdrawn by Arrossa.