Walk Thru Crystal one to beat in Kindergarten

Two undefeated fillies, including fastest qualifier Walk Thru Crystal, are part of a field of 10 juveniles in Sunday’s $294,500 Kindergarten Futurity for Quarter Horses at Los Alamitos.

The 300-yard Kindergarten is the first futurity of the year at Los Alamitos, which will host three seven-figure races for 2-year-olds this season.

Walk Thru Crystal ran 300 yards in 15.41 seconds in a division of the Kindergarten time trials on May 3, winning by a neck over the colt Carnegie Haul. Ready Red and Big Time Haul, third and fourth in that division of the time trials, earned berths to the final. The horses with the 10 fastest qualifying times, regardless of finishing position, earned berths to the final.

Walk Thru Crystal, by Walk Thru Fire, is trained by Yanet Rodriguez for Enrique Gonzalez’s EG High Desert Farm.

There are four fillies, four geldings, and two colts in the final. High Class Cartel, a filly, is the only other unbeaten runner. Trained and co-owned by Angela Aquino, High Class Cartel beat maidens in her debut April 4 and won a division of the trials in 15.62 seconds.

Trainer Jaime Gomez has three runners in the finals – Carnegie Haul, Docs Best Card, and Thru the Night. Gomez has won the Kindergarten seven times, equaling the late Blane Schvaneveldt for the most wins by a trainer.

Thru the Night won a division of the trials in a dead heat with Unclaimed Dividend. They were timed in 15.673 seconds and shared the 10th and final qualifying berth. Thru the Night won a random draw held two days after the trials to advance to the final.