APOLLITICAL BET CRUISES TO VICTORY, TOPS TRIAL TO JOHN DEERE CALIFORNIA JUVENILE
Clayton and Kaye Russell’s Apollitical Bet lived up to the billing of being the marquee name going into the trials to the John Deere California Juvenile Challenge after posting the fastest qualifying time to the 350-yard race on Saturday night at Los Alamitos.
A winner in his trial to the Grade 1 Ed Burke Million Futurity, Apollitical Bet delivered a powerful victory in his trial to the John Deere California, winning the third of three heats by a length as he pulled away from the field. The son of Apollitical Blood out of the stakes place mare Favorite Bet covered the distance in :17.703, which was far and away the fastest time of the night.
A total of 23 juveniles competed in the trials with the 10 with the fastest times advancing to the John Deere California final to be held on August 10. On the line will be a berth to the John Deere Juvenile Challenge Championship to be held in October at The Downs in Albuquerque.
Apollitical Bet will be the horse to beat in the California Juvenile final following this terrific effort. Ridden by Armando Cervantes for trainer Monty Arrossa, the California homebred broke cleanly and led by a neck during the early part of the race. He opened a half-length advantage by the midway point and was unyielding from there, as he stretched the lead to a full length at the wire. Now a winner of two of his three career starts, Apollitical Bet’s winning time was 16/100ths of a second faster than the next quickest qualifier.
Posting the second fastest time of the night was J Lazy Six Racing’s Heartlande, who ran second to Apollitical Bet in this trial in a time of :17.868. Purchased for $50,000 at the Heritage Place Sale, the Texas-bred filly of Favorite Cartel has run twice at Los Alamitos this year and has posted two solid runner-up efforts. Bobby Cox bred the daughter of the $71,000 earner and graded stakes placed Jess A Sweetie.
Two other trials were contested on Saturday with Marla K Robinson Family Trust’s A Political Wave winning the first heat and LG Racing LLC’s Born In The Blood winning the other trial. Both trial winners were saddled by Heath Taylor. Jonathan Roman piloted the Apollitical Jess filly A Political Wave, who won her trial in :18.130, while Armando Viramontes guided the Apollitical Blood gelding Born In The Blood to victory in the second trial in a time of :18.071.
Here’s the complete list of qualifiers to the John Deere California Juveniles: Apollitical Bet :17.702, Heartlande :17.868, Bottle It Up :17.890, Born In The Blood :18.071, A Political Wave :18.130, Safari :18.142, Toxic Details :18.151, AJ Flawless :18.193, Gold N Miss, :18.204, and Apollitical Duchess :18.249.
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