Fire In The Whole Captures $91,200 Bitterroot Futurity in Neck Victory at Pocatello Downs

POCATELLO, ID—JULY 20, 2025—Fire In The Whole, a gray filly by multiple graded stakes sire Kvn Corona, delivered a determined performance from the rail to win Sunday’s $91,200 Bitterroot Futurity at Pocatello Downs.

With Jesus Canales in the irons, the talented 2-year-old surged to the lead early and held on gamely to win by a neck in a final time of 17.852 seconds for 350 yards, earning a 92 speed index over a fast track with a 5-mph crosswind.

Bred in Utah by McColee Land & Livestock LLC, Fire In The Whole is out of the champion mare Separate Fire, a daughter of Walk Thru Fire. She was purchased for $28,000 at the 2024 Los Alamitos Equine Sale and races for owner Michael McKell.

Trainer Sergio Canales has now guided the filly to four wins in five starts, boosting her earnings to $43,314. Her share of the Bitterroot purse was worth $36,480. Also a finalist in the Beehive Futurity, she now has a three-race win streak that started with a trial victory for the Energy Downs 307 Futurity on June 1.

Finishing a game second was Ojd Kali Sunrise, who edged her stablemate in a close finish. The brown filly by Jess Good Candy, out of Bugs Wagon by Pyc Paint Your Wagon, was bred in California by Karla Diaz-Gomez and Oscar Diaz, who also own the filly.

With Jose Herbert aboard, she rallied late for trainer Javier Fuentes and collected $18,240 for the effort, increasing her earnings to $32,230. She was also second in the Hadley Giles Futurity in May.

Ojd Steaming Train, a brown gelding by world champion sire Freighttrain B, ran a solid third under David Alvarez Jr. Trained by Javier Fuentes and also a home bred owned by Karla and Oscar Diaz, the gelding is out of Ojd One Favorite Jj, by Favorite Cartel. He earned $9,120 for his finish and improved his earnings to $14,564. Two race back he was fourth in the Idaho Cup Futurity.

In order of finish, behind the top three were Kr Cartels Calamity in fourth, Shamrock S in fifth, M E Kool Carter in sixth, Jr Reyzin Kane in seventh, Jess Chasin Dreams in eighth, and Backside Gossip in ninth.

Fire In The Whole returned $7.60 to win, $5.00 to place, and $4.40 to show. Ojd Kali Sunrise paid $8.20 to place and Ojd Steaming Train returned $13.40 to show.

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Cartels Speedo Wins $15,000 Bitterroot Futurity Consolation

Cartels Speedo was a three-quarter length winner in the $15,000 Bitterroot Futurity Consolation earlier on the card Sunday.

Trainer Sergio Canales named jockey David Alvarez, Jr. to ride the son of Iba Cartel for owner-breeder Merlin Sharp.

He completed the 350 yards in 18.365 seconds to defeat Jus S. M E Jassie D finished a nose back in third.

Cartels Speedo is out of the Dealagame mare String A Game. The $7,050 winner's purse boosted his bankroll to $7,625 from four starts.

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Editor's note: A photo of the Bitterroot Futurity winner will be posted when it becomes available from the track photographer.

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