LOS ALAMITOS, CA—OCTOBER 19, 2014—S-Quarter K LLC's unbeaten star Heza Dasha Fire returns to action for the first time since winning the Grade 1 Ed Burke Million Futurity when he headlines the seventh of 10 trials to the $1,031,100 Golden State Million Futurity tonight (Sunday) at Los Alamitos.

Eighty-three juveniles will compete in the Golden State Million trials with the horses with the 10 fastest qualifying times moving on to the final on Sunday, November 2.

All eyes will be on Heza Dasha Fire, as he's still eligible to win the $1 million Los Alamitos Cash Bonanza. Owned and bred by Kathy, Don and Shawn Meneely, the Washington-bred Heza Dasha Fire would earn an extra $1 million if he goes on to win the Golden State Million and Los Alamitos Two Million futurities in addition to the Ed Burke. The longtime Quarter Horse owners are just happy to see their Walk Thru Fire colt back on the racing scene for the first time since the Ed Burke on June 22. No horse has ever won the Los Alamitos Cash Bonanza.

“Anything can happen in horse racing,” Kathy Meneely said. “A lot of things can go wrong in a race, but we are excited to see him back on the track. He took the time off very weel. He’s such a laid back type of a horse that we didn’t need to take him off the grounds. He stayed at Los Alamitos and he didn’t fret or missed any meals. When it came time to start training again, he was like ‘Okay, let’s go’. We went back and forth as to whether or not to give him an out before these trials. We chose the workout in the end. He went very fast in his works (a :12 flat turn and work at 220 yards on September 6 followed by a 350-yard gate work in :17.50 on September 27). His last work was a speedy work, but we were told that (jockey Cruz Mendez) had him under wraps and was able to save him for the trials.”

Heza Dasha Fire has been phenomenal at Los Alamitos this year. He started his racing career with an amazing 2 3/4 length maiden win on April 27 and then posted the fastest qualifying time to the Ed Burke. Heza Dasha Fire then won the Ed Burke Million final in convincing fashion, as he crossed the wire 1 ¼ lengths ahead of Oneapolliticalflight.

"This colt has so far done everything we've asked for and probably a little more," added Meneely, who along with her husband, Don, lives in Kennewick, Washington. "I can't stay away (from Los Alamitos) so we've gone to visit about three to four times since the Ed Burke. He's not much of a treat eater. He's much more of a people person. He prefers the people time a lot more than a cookie. He likes to have his belly scratched and loves to nuzzle your hair."

On Sunday night, Jose Flores will saddle Heza Dasha Fire and give jockey Cruz Mendez, who is back after suffering a minor hand injury a week ago, a leg up aboard Heza Dasha Fire. They'll start from post number two in the evening's seventh race.

"The good news is that he's done well before from the number two hole," she added. "I guess if he had drawn an outside post that we would be worried. We hope he breaks well and stays out of trouble. We hope he qualifies, we hope he wins, and then we'll think about the next step. We know it is racing and that anything can happen. "

The seventh trial will also feature Ed Allred’s promising gelding, He Looks Hot, the third place finisher of the Governor’s Cup Futurity on July 26. Trained by Scott Willoughby, He Looks Hot won his Governor’s Cup trial by an impressive 1 1/2 lengths before finishing behind stablemate Discontent in the Governor’s Cup final. Carlos Huerta will ride him from post number one against Heza Dasha Fire.

The opening Golden State Million trial will feature John Deere California Juvenile finalist Flying Foose and Ed Burke Memorial Juvenile Stakes runner-up A Mere Patron.

Rancho El Cabresto, Inc’s Apollitical Blood will then lead a talented group of sprinters in the second heat. Trained by Juan Aleman, The son of Apollitical Jess returns to Los Alamitos after running fourth in the Grade 1 All American Futurity at Ruidoso Downs. He also finished fifth to the Heza Dasha Fire in the Ed Burke Million back in June. Apollitical Blood will take on Kindergarten Futurity runner-up and Rainbow Futurity finalist Wild Sixes Cartel and Ed Burke Memorial Stakes winner Vivid, who has won her last three starts.

Allred, Willoughby and Huerta will team up in the third trial with Governor’s Cup Futurity winner Discontent, who is back on the track after running second in the trials to the PCQHRA Breeders Futurity. The Separatist gelding was a daylight winner in the Governor’s Cup trials and then a half-length winner in the $352,000 Governor’s Cup final.

"He is out of Reeds Val, a mare from very good bloodlines owned by Paul Reed," said Allred about Discontent. "I always believed in (Reeds Val) because she came from the same family as Ed Burke Memorial Futurity winner Mega Storm, but her babies always seemed to have bad luck. They would get hurt and were born with some type of an issue. This makes up for a lot of it."

The third heat is also a rematch between Discontent and Steve Burns’ No Arizona, who was the runner-up in the Governor’s Cup final. Trained by Mike Casselman, No Arizona will come in having finished in the money in all five of her career starts. Yuriana Ramirez’s Panama Wes, who was scratched out of the John Deere California back in mid August, will also compete in the third trial.

The lineup for the fourth trial will include Allred’s Governor’s Cup Futurity finalist Chicanery, who ran fourth to Discontent, and Double Bar S Ranch’s Smile N Wave, a filly from the family of Champion of Champions winners Ocean Runaway and Wave Carver.

The fifth trial will be headed by Reliance Ranches LLC’s Penthouse Sweet, who will make her first start since running in the Ruidoso Futurity on June 8.

Cash Rate Handicap winner Old Six Six will headline the sixth trial of the night. Racing for Ronald Skeen and Fawna Knight, Old Six Six was second in the California Breeders Freshman Stakes in his race prior to the Cash Rate.

The eighth trial will be headed by Rancho El Cabresto’s Oneapolliticalflight, the runner-up in the Ed Burke Million. The filly by One Famous Eagle has also been resting since her appearance in the Ed Burke and will enter this race after a nice 350-yard gate drill in :17.90 on September 23. Red-hot jockey Cesar De Alba will pilot Oneapolliticalflight.

Bill Price’s BP Down South figures to be one of trainer Eddie Willis’ top futurity contenders on the night. The First Down Dash filly was second in the Remington Park Oklahoma Bred Futurity earlier this year and was runner-up in an All American Futurity trial. Kolleen Ledgerwood’s Hot Shot, a finalist to both the Ed Burke Million and Governor’s Cup, figures to shine in these trials as well. Allred’s Take A Look, who was second in the Cash Rate, will also compete in this trial.

The 10th and final trial will be headed by Reliance Ranches’ SC Divas Cartel, a winner of a Rainbow Futurity trial, and also Running Corona, a daughter of All American Futurity winner Runnning Brook Gal. Runnning Corona was a two length winner in her maiden race on August 24. The racing action will get underway at 6 p.m. on Sunday at Los Alamitos.

Courtesy of www.losalamitos.com .