LOS ALAMITOS, CA—OCTOBER 4, 2018—Hayden Brothers Ranch's homebred filly Estelline will go after her third win in as many starts at Los Alamitos when she heads a field of 10 in the Grade 2, $365,000 PCQHRA Breeders Futurity on Saturday night.

Estelline has been stellar in Orange County. She broke her maiden by ¾ lengths in her local debut on August 25 and then cleared her rivals when setting the fastest qualifying time in the trials of :17.55 with Saul Ramirez, Jr. aboard on September 16. Trainer Danny Montes believes that Estelline can continue her current form.

"She ran big in the trials," he said. "She was tired at the end of the race, but she back to her old self a couple of days later. She's been doing great. Saul had never been on her going into the trials. He's now had a chance to get on her and take out to the track. He knows her better now and he's a money rider."

Ramirez, Jr. is not the only one that has enjoyed becoming acquainted with the daughter of Carters Cartel. Montes has also welcomed the opportunity to learn more about the talented filly since she arrived to his barn in early August.

"Hector Magallanes trained Estelline before sending her to me," Montes said. "We've had luck working together in the past. This filly has been an easy one to train. She's really laid back and has settled in nicely here. It's been fun to have her here."

Montes met Magallanes while training horses in Kennewick, Washington a few years ago. The two quickly developed a friendship, but have also battled in some of the biggest races in the Northwest. This past July 3rd, the two trainers had some of the top horses racing in the $33,400 Firecraker at Grants Pass Downs. Montes came out on top in the Firecracker thanks to fastest qualifier Harem Bar Cartel.

Montes and Magallanes will now both be cheering for fastest qualifier Estelline when she leaves the gate from post number two in the PCQHRA Breeders Futurity final.

"I like her post position," Montes said. "They way she's been leaving the starting gate, I think she can get on the lead and have room to run along the inside part of the track. But leaving fast is the key. If she can clear early and avoid trouble, I think we'll have a good shot in the race."

The third-place finisher in the Pot O' Gold Futurity in early May, Estelline has hit the board in all but one of her six career starts. Her dam, Lady Of Reason SA, is a full sister to the champion and millionaire Good Reason SA, the winner of the 2011 Champion of Champions and 2009 Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity.

Of the 10 horses in the race, JGA Racing Stables' Paddy Riley is the richest horse in the field with exactly $65,000 from his five career starts. The Apollitical Jess gelding earned the bulk of that money wheh he finished fifth to Wave Her Down in the Grade 1, $1,060,000 Ed Burke Million Futurity.

In his first start back after the Ed Burke final, Paddy Riley finished fourth in a very productive trial that include second fastest qualifier Conquering Marie and third fastest qualifier Red Hawk Cartel.

Reliances Ranches LLC's Conquering Marie enters the futurity final as the winningest horse in the race with three wins from her five starts. In addition to her PCQHRA Breeders Futurity trial win, the filly by first-crop sire Coronado Cartel broke her maiden by 1 ¼ lengths and was a ¾ length winner in a trial to the Ed Burke Million Futurity.

Martha Wells' Red Hawk Cartel is one of three stakes winners in this race. The colt by Favorite Cartel was a huge upset winner at 62-1 odds in the California Breeders Freshman Stakes on July 28.

Marin Jones and Steve McIntyre's Cold Man 47 ran third in the trial won by Conquering Marie and looms like one of the top candidates to win the Grade 2 futurity. The gelding by Stel Corona has the most experience among the horses in this race with eight starts and seven in-the-money finishes. He qualified to the Grade 2 Robert Adair Kindergarten Futurity earlier this year and won the $51,000 John Deere California Juvenile Challenge by a length on August 18. He's named after breeder Steve McIntyre's grandson, Cole, a speedy and talented youth soccer player who wears number 47.

Rosenthal Ranch LLC's Jess Bein Me, a gelding by first-crop sire Jess Being Valiant, and Cesar Dabdoub's Ali Babe Foose finished first and second, respectively, when facing each other in the final trial to the PCQHRA Breeders Futurity. With stakes experience on their side, they are both talented enough to end up on top on Saturday night.

Ali Babe Foose has had terrible luck in half of his career starts. Foose colt was a wire-to-wire winner in his PCQHRA Breeders Futurity trial, but he broke out and bumped in that race as well. If he can avoid trouble, there's no telling how well the son of Jess Being Valiant can perform.

Jaime Gomez's Mr Jess Perry gelding Majestic Mr Perry and Valentin Zamudio's Kiddy Up colt Callender, a pair of trial winners, will start next to fastest qualifier Estelline from along the inside part of the track.

Meanwhile, Thomas Bradbury and Lila Kessinger's Corona Cartel gelding Purty Fancy Dude will be going after his second career start when he leaves the gate from post number eight with leading Quarter Horse jockey Jesus Rios Ayala aboard.

Courtesy of www.losalamitos.com.