LOS ALAMITOS, CA—MAY 17, 2013—Thirty year ago Denny Ekins won the Kindergarten Futurity with the great millionaire champion Tolltac in the 1983 running. Ekins will saddle Tom Close and Lee Thompson's Last Chancer from post five on Sunday night in this year's Kindergarten.

"Tolltac's win came in my younger years as a trainer at Los Alamitos and it was the beginning of what has been a great and fun run in this sport," Ekins said. "To win the Kindergarten was great thanks to a tremendous horse and the field behind him was simply outstanding. It was special day and Tolltac was a special horse. It was a day that will be etched in my memory forever."

In addition to the Kindergarten, Tolltac would win the Bay Meadows Futurity and Golden State Futurity in 1983 on the way to being named champion 2-year-old colt. As a 3-year-old, Tolltac won the El Primero Del Ano Derby and also the Golden State Derby while repeating as champion colt.

It would be another special moment for Ekins to end up in the Kindergarten winner’s circle with Last Chancer, a filly by first crop sire Foose, three decades after Tolltac’s golden moment.

"Last Chancer is owned by some very good friends in Tom Close and Lee Thompson," Ekins added. "This filly spent the winter in Utah with her owners. Lee Thompson trained at Los Alamitos and Tom Close is an avid horseman who has won several world championships in chariot racing. This is the first time that Close has been associated with a race of this magnitude. I am looking forward to the owners spending a great evening and a wonderful race."

Courtesy of www.losalamitos.com