BOTTLE IT UP AND GRADE 1 WINNER UP TO PARTY TOP TRIALS TO BREEDERS FUTURITY
Owners Levings Racing LLC had to be toasting in celebration on Sunday night after their talented homebred Bottle It Up finished with the fastest qualifying time to the Grade 2 PCQHRA Breeders Futurity at Los Alamitos.
Early in the night, Bottle It Up (left) set a high standard in terms of qualifying times to the Breeders Futurity, as he raced in the first of six trials at 350 yards. Bottle It Up broke on top even while lugging in and from there he sailed to an easy 1 ½ length victory. Ridden by Jesus Rios Ayala for trainer Monty Arrossa, Bottle It Up covered the distance in :17.574, while posting the second win of his career. The Oklahoma-bred gelding by Tempting Dash came into the trials after running second to the sharp Apollitical Bet in the John Deere Los Alamitos Juvenile Challenge on August 10. He’ll ow have the honor the being the fastest qualifier to the Breeders Futurity final to be held on Sunday, September 15.
“He’s been drawing the inside, and he finally drew to the outside,” Arrossa said of Bottle It Up, who started from post number seven. “He looked like he was way more comfortable out there. Jesus Ayala got him out of the gate great and got him rolling. He ran a nice race. He had a nice race in the Challenge. He was closing on Apollitical Bet. It was only two weeks ago so he didn’t have a big turnaround. I think that last race helped him.”
Dunn Ranch’s undefeated Grade 1 winner Up To Party (right), the winner of the Grade 1 Ed Burke Million Futurity in previous outing before the trials, looked tremendous on Sunday night, winning the fifth heat in the second fastest time of :17.635. Bred by Ed Allred and Tom Siebly, the filly by Kiddy Up was pure perfection in her trial, as she flew away from the gate to take a 1 ¾ length lead after the first call. It got easier from there for Up To Party, as she opened a 2 ¼ length lead at the midway point and from there she cruised to the wire while still winning by two lengths. Ridden by Armando Cervantes for Arrossa, Up To Party has four wins in as many career starts. This was her first start since her Ed Burke victory back on June 16.
“You always worry when you give them some time off,” Arrossa said. “We gave her the time off after the Ed Burke. We put a couple of works in her and both were good. The filly has been doing everything right. She’s super sound and Anthony Montes, her groom, has been taking great care of her. You always worry when they get time off. How are they going to bounce back? She had pretty gate work at 220. She ran flawless and had a nice race tonight.”
Arrossa had a night he won’t soon forget as his barn swept the six Breeders Futurity trials. In addition to Bottle It Up and Up To Party, Arrossa also won trials with AGMW Racing’s Fear N Fridays, Travis and Wendy Sexton’s Midnight Mood, Dunn Ranch’s Party Time Tom, and Buckway Ranch’s Ultimate Battle.
Midnight Mood, who ran third in the Governor’s Cup Futurity, won his trial by a neck over Governor’s Cup finalist Snow Bound. A gelding by Favorite Cartel, Midnight Mood finished with the third fastest time of :17.733. Legacy Ranch bred Midnight Mood.
Ultimate Battle, who was second to Up To Party in the Ed Burke, won for the first time in four starts in his trial, while setting the fourth fastest time of :17.759. Ultimate Battle is also a son of Favorite Cartel. Champion breeder Steve Burns bred Ultimate Battle.
Party Time Tom, who is full brother to Up To Party, entered this race after running second in the Governor’s Cup Futurity. The Kiddy Up gelding finished with the fifth fastest time of :17.762. Ed Allred and Tom Siebly are the breeders of Party Time Tom.
Fear N Fridays won his trial in the eighth fastest time of :17.778. Sired by Pyc Fun N Fancy and bred by Thurston Quarter Horses, Fear N Fridays is the only juvenile to qualify to three futurities at Los Alamitos this year. He previously qualified to the Robert Adair Kindergarten Futurity as the fastest qualifier and also the Ed Burke.
Armando Cervantes rode Midnight Mood, Party Time Tom and Fear N Fridays. James Flores piloted Ultimate Battle.
The other qualifiers include Cavenaugh Quarter Horses’ homebred filly D Fawn, a winner in her local debut and now the sixth fastest qualifier after running second to top qualifier Bottle It Up. Eddie Willis trains the daughter of Uncle D. The eighth fastest qualifier is Reliance Ranches’ Snow Bound, who closed strongly in the second trial to finish only a neck behind Midnight Mood. Trained by Paul Jones for Reliance Ranches, Sow Bound was ridden by Armando Viramontes. Bred by Bill Hoburg, the son of Favorite Cartel is a half-brother to multiple Grade 1 winner BH Lisas Boy.
Alipio Burgos and Jorge Quintero’s Malynche and Steve Burns, Mark and Marta Winslow and Jose Flores’ Bull Market completed the list of qualifiers. Malynche, who ran fourth in the Governor’s Cup, is trained by Lindolfo Diaz, while Flores conditions Bull Market, who is a full brother to 2022 Breeders Futurity runner-up Mornings With Maria. Separate Interest is the sire of Bull Market.
The complete list of qualifiers is as follows: Bottle It Up (:17.574), Up To Party (:17.634), Midnight Mood (:17.733), Ultimate Battle (:17.759), Party Time Tom (:17.762), D Fawn (:17.764), Snow Bound (:17.766), Fear N Fridays (:17.778), Malynche (:17.795), and Bull Market (:17.798).
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