Trane Station V undeterred in winning Los Alamitos Two Million

CYPRESS, Calif. -- Trane Station V had two easy excuses to lose the $1.78 million Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity on Sunday evening.

Trane Station V was one of two horses that broke through the gate before the start. Both were well handled by their riders and jumped only a few strides away from the gate before they were stopped.

After the start of the 400-yard race, Trane Station V was bumped by rivals to his sides.

Despite those incidents, Trane Station V recovered rapidly under jockey Francisco Calderon. Trailing narrowly after 100 yards, Trane Station V reached the front midway through the race and prevailed by a half-length to complete a sweep of the two major autumn futurities at Los Alamitos.

Trane Station V won the Golden State Million Futurity on Oct. 29. He is the sixth horse to sweep the two races since the Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity was first run in 1995.

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In Sunday’s Los Alamitos Two Million, Trane Station V ($2.80) was timed in 19.73 seconds and outfinished 4-1 Five Bar Supreme. Optical Illusion (25-1) finished third in a field of nine. Optical Illusion was the other runner that broke through the gate before the start.

Trane Station V earned $738,643 for owner Sammy Valeriano and trainer Heath Taylor.

Valeriano and Taylor combined to win Saturday’s $750,000 Champion of Champions with Flash Bak. The Champion of Champions is the nation’s leading race for 3-year-old and older Quarter Horses.

Trane Station V, a colt by Favorite Cartel, has won 6 of 9 starts and earned $1,754,152. Earlier this year, when trained by Santos Carrizales, Jr., at Ruidoso Downs, Trane Station V was second in the $1 million Rainbow Futurity in July, and second in the $3 million All American Futurity in September.

Taylor said after Sunday’s race that Trane Station V will be pointed to the major derbys at Ruidoso Downs next spring and summer.

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