The time trials for Sunday’s $1.92 million Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity had been underway for nearly five hours on the evening of Nov. 23 when Political Twist started in the last division.
Political Twist was the last high-profile runner in 12 trials, racing at night for the first time in his seventh start.
A different environment made little difference. Political Twist won his sixth race in the 400-yard trial, pulling clear by two lengths. He has the fourth-fastest time for Sunday’s final, but his nearly flawless record will make him the favorite in California’s richest Quarter Horse race.
Owned by La Feliz Montana Ranch and Ray Willis and trained by Xavier Rodriguez, Political Twist has earned $1,062,317 and is the only runner in Sunday’s field of 10 with a seven-figure bankroll.
Political Twist won the $1 million Ruidoso Futurity at 350 yards at Ruidoso Downs in June, and was second by a neck in the $3 million All American Futurity as the 3-5 favorite in Albuquerque on Sept. 1.
Winning an evening race in the trials was a relief to Rodriguez despite the gelding’s summertime accomplishments.
“He ran as expected,” Rodriguez said. “First time under the lights is a little nerve-racking.”
Political Twist, who starts from post 7, has had a lighter campaign this fall than many of his rivals in the Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity. Rodriguez said he saw changes in him from the All American Futurity to the Nov. 23 time trial.
“He matured a little bit,” he said.
For the most part, Sunday’s field consists of locally based runners, notably the major stakes winners Enforce and Jess Im Worth It, who were first and second in the $1.1 million Golden State Million Futurity at 400 yards on Oct. 26.
Jess Im Worth It won the $1 million Ed Burke Million Futurity at 350 yards on June 15.
Enforce was bought for $675,000 at the 2024 Ruidoso yearling sale, the most expensive hip of the auction. By Favorite Cartel, Enforce is a full brother to three millionaires – Bomb Cyclone, Cyber Attack, and Powerful Favorite. Bomb Cyclone and Cyber Attack won the Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity in 2021 and 2022 for Chris O’Dell, who trains Enforce.
As with many of his older siblings, Enforce has been better in the fall of his 2-year-old season than in the spring or summer.
“You have to be really patient,” O’Dell said. “They don’t jump out and do it.”
Enforce won a division of the Rainbow Futurity trials at 400 yards in late June, but did not have a time fast enough to gain a berth in the final.
Enforce had the fourth-fastest qualifying time for the Golden State Million Futurity and has the fastest qualifying time of 19.66 seconds for Sunday’s race.
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