LIGHTNING VAQUERA SURPRISES WITH TOP QUALIFYING ON GOLDEN STATE MILLION TRIALS NIGHT

The two fastest times on a thrilling night of Grade 1, $1,164,150 Golden State Million Futurity trials came in bookend fashion on Saturday at Los Alamitos. Demler Quarter Horses’ Revenantly set the early standard in the first of 14 trials before La Feliz Montana Ranch LLC’s Lightning Vaquera delivered the shocker of the night, winning the final heat in a top-qualifying time of :19.892.

Lightning Vaquera capped a banner evening for La Feliz Montana. The 2025 AQHA champion owners also qualified third-fastest finisher Luxury Sin Tacha, owned in partnership with Tabasco Racing.

Trainer Manuel Rodolfo Rodriguez saddled four of the 10 qualifiers overall, as Lightning Vaquera and Luxury Sin Tacha were joined by MRB Racing LLC’s Jess Loaded and Jess B Boujee, who secured the ninth and 10th fastest qualifying times, respectively, for the October 25 final.

The complete list of Golden State Million Futurity qualifiers: Lightning Vaquera (:19.892), Revenantly (:19.938), Luxury Sin Tacha (:19.971), Faultless (:19.995), Fearless Family (:20.001), Cartel Cowgirl 123 (:20.026), Zero Down (:20.034), Nuclear Arsenal (:20.041), Jess Loaded (:20.052), and Jess B Boujee (:20.059)

Sent off at 13-1 odds from post one with jockey Gerardo Vera aboard, Lightning Vaquera won her trial in dominant fashion. The Sam Green-bred filly broke sharply along the rail, accelerated quickly to establish a 1¼-length lead, and held comfortably to the wire for her first career victory in three starts. It was a breakthrough local performance for Lightning Vaquera, who was unplaced in two trial starts at The Downs at Albuquerque. Prior to her local debut, she looked razor-sharp in a 220-yard Los Alamitos gate drill, displaying excellent early foot.

“The work helped her a lot,” Rodriguez said. “The rider was patient. He took his time with her and didn’t push her. She was running at night, so we were hoping for the best, and she delivered. She has talent—she only had two prior starts, but she has improved a lot.”

“I knew she was going to run well because she didn’t break that well in Albuquerque and always had a little trouble,” said owner Javier Rodriguez of La Feliz Montana, brother of trainer Manuel Rodolfo Rodriguez. “Like my brother said, she only had two outs and was very inexperienced because something always happened. I knew we had good horses for these races, and they showed it tonight. Thanks to the whole team behind us—from the ranch to out here—my brother is doing a great job, and we can’t thank them enough.”

La Feliz Montana will also be represented in the final by third-fastest qualifier Luxury Sin Tacha, co-owned with Tabasco Racing. Ridden by 2025 AQHA champion jockey Luis Martinez, the $120,000 Heritage Place Yearling Sale purchase scored his first career win by taking the 13th trial by half a length in :19.971.

“I knew he had talent because he ran a couple of second-place efforts against tough horses in Albuquerque,” Javier Rodriguez added. “We just needed him to break well. He has a top pedigree.”

“He’s been training well and has matured a lot,” Manuel added. “I was a little concerned about him running under the lights, but he handled it great.”

Bred by Geo Suthers, the colt by Dulce Sin Tacha is out of Luckjury, a Corona Cartel mare who won her debut at Los Alamitos in 2016.

Demler Quarter Horses’ Revenantly held the top qualifying spot for nearly the entire card. The A Revenant colt won the opening trial impressively in :19.938 under Joseph Belloc Jr. for trainer James J. Gonzales II. Revenantly broke sharply from post six, dueled with Texas Cowgirl 123 during the early stages, and pulled away through the lane to record his third win in five starts. Purchased for $115,000 at Heritage Place and bred by Flag Ranch LLC, Revenantly entered the trials off a third-place trial effort behind All American Futurity finalist Happy Flying Bird on August 8.

“He leaves the gate really well,” Gonzales II said. “If he leaves running, he’s hard to beat. That’s just natural for him, he’s been like that from day one. We’re blessed to have him and thankful to the owners. We’ll keep our fingers crossed, and he’ll be tough in the final.”

Gonzales credited assistant trainer Adrian Valdez for preparing Revenantly at Los Alamitos.

“I had to make a decision on who to send out here, and I had all the faith and confidence in Adrian,” Gonzales said. “He’s doing a helluva of a job for me.”

“I’m very proud of the horse,” Valdez added. “We stood him in the gate, and he was coming into the race in great shape. We knew he was going to give them a great run for their money.”

Revenantly needed every bit of his early speed to hold off fast-closing Nuclear Arsenal, who rallied from seventh at the start to finish second. Owned by Dale Winterton and trained by Paul Jones, the Bobby Cox-bred Inspyre colt qualified eighth-fastest (:20.041) under Eduardo Nicasio, earning a spot in his third futurity final of the year after finishing third in the Grade 1 Ed Burke Memorial and also competing in the Grade 2 PCQHRA Breeders Futurity.

The opening trial also produced ninth-fastest qualifier Jess Loaded (:20.052). Bred by Cavenaugh Quarter Horses and purchased for $200,000 at Heritage Place by MRB Racing, the Apollitical Jess gelding finished third in the heat.

Ed Allred’s Faultless enjoyed one of his best breaks from the gate of the season, propelling him to a second career victory in five starts. Ridden by Gabriel Lara for trainer Scott Willoughby, the Golden Boi colt advanced to his second Grade 1 final after finishing a nose runner-up in the Ed Burke Memorial.

“He broke and fortunately he had some room, and he got to it really quick,” Willoughby said. “We jumped him away from the gate in morning training to help him get away faster, and it seems to have worked. Hopefully, it pays off in the big race.”

Owned and bred by Johnny Trotter, Cartel Cowgirl 123 added a Golden State Million berth to her resume after previously qualifying for the Grade 1 Rainbow Futurity. Ridden by Joseph Belloc Jr. for James J. Gonzales II, the Flying Cowboy 123 filly was among the first out of the gate, steadily gained ground, and took the lead at the midway point to win by a neck in :20.026.

She has won three of her four lifetime starts. Her dam, Famous Cartel Lady, is a half-sister to multiple Grade 1 winner and longtime premier sire One Famous Eagle.

Gentry Farms and Jackpot Farms’ Fearless Family scored a solid victory in her trial to qualify fifth-fastest in :20.001. Ridden by Martin Arriaga for trainer Juan Aleman, the Kentucky-bred filly by Tempting is out of All American Oaks finalist Family Dynasty.

Runner-up Zero Down also qualified for the final with the seventh-fastest time (:20.034) for trainer Mike Casselman and jockey Armando Viramontes. Owned by Steve Burns, the Favorite Cartel gelding is out of top producer Bartiromo.

For a complete list of qualifiers with times, sires, dams, owners, breeders, trainers, and jockeys, CLICK HERE.

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