The field for Sunday’s $1.17 million Golden State Million Futurity for Quarter Horses at Los Alamitos includes an undefeated filly who won a time trial on Oct. 4 by an eye-catching three lengths, a colt who won a $1.04 million futurity at Los Alamitos in June, and Midwest owners with three qualifiers who won the 2024 Golden State Million Futurity but later lost the purse because of a medication violation.
There are other notable storylines in the 400-yard Golden State Million Futurity, including a fastest qualifier beaten in futurities in June and September, a promising filly who won maiden races in April and June, and a $675,000 yearling starting in his first major race.
Beuteeful, winner of the $275,800 Kindergarten Futurity at 400 yards at Los Alamitos in May, did not race through the summer and returned to win by three lengths in the second of 14 time trials for the Golden State Million Futurity on Oct. 4.
Beuteeful, one of two fillies entered in Sunday’s race, may go favored.
There will be hearty support for Jess Im Worth It, winner of the $1.04 million Ed Burke Million Futurity at 350 yards on June 15. He did not race during the summer and won the fifth time trial in 19.87 seconds, quick enough for the second-fastest qualifying time.
The fastest qualifier, with a trial time of 19.85, is Doodah Cartel, who was fourth in the Ed Burke Million and eighth in the $260,000 Pacific Coast Quarter Horse Racing Association Breeders’ Futurity at 350 yards on Sept. 14. Doodah Cartel, trained by Paul Jones, had trouble in both futurities.
Jones also starts The Lady Is a Vamp, who snuck into Sunday’s race with the 10th-fastest qualifying time of 20.03. The Lady Is a Vamp was last of 10 in the PCQHRA Breeders’ Futurity after racing in traffic.
The Lady Is a Vamp won her debut in a maiden race at 300 yards on April 27 only to be disqualified when it was realized that her listed foaling date at the time was May 3, 2023. Horses must have their second actual birthdays to be allowed to run in California. The filly’s official documents have since been amended to reflect a foaling date of April 16, 2023.
The Lady Is a Vamp won a 300-yard maiden race in her third start on June 29.
Enforce, bought for $675,000 at the 2024 Ruidoso yearling sale, was second to Jess Im Worth It in the trials. Enforce is a full brother to 2018 Golden State Million Futurity winner Runforyourlife.
Matt and Bendi Dunn have three entrants in Sunday’s race – trial race winners Dr Make It Sweet and Dr Stone Cold, and Aj Cyclone, who was second to Doodah Cartel. The Dunns also qualified the filly Warm Springs, who died shortly after winning a trial on Oct. 4. The California Horse Racing Board has yet to announce the findings of a necropsy, according to its website.
The Dunns, who race as Dunn Ranch, won the 2024 Golden State Million with American Dreamin, who was disqualified from the purse in March because of a medication violation.
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