Steve Burns, a three-time AQHA Champion Breeder, will look to win the Restricted Grade 2 Governor’s Cup Futurity for the first time as an owner as he is represented by three talented juveniles in the $255,000 final at 350 yards on Saturday at Los Alamitos.
The Governor’s Cup is slated as the ninth and final race on the California Breeders Champions Night card on Saturday and will be contested at 350 yards. Burns, who is also among the nation’s top Quarter Horse owners, will be represented by a trio led by the talented Favorite Cartel filly French Valley, the runner-up in the Grade 1 Ed Burke Million Futurity. A full sister to AQHA Champion Trane Station V, French Valley won her Governor’s Cup trial with ease, crossing the wire 1 ¼ lengths ahead of her closest pursuer on trials night.
Burns will also be represented by the Favorite Cartel colt Brother Ray, a homebred that he co-owns with Jose Flores, Gerardo Herrera and Javier Alvarez. Jose Flores trains Brother Ray, who has won his last two starts including a neck victory in his Governor’s Cup trial. Burns is also the owner and breeder of Bear Down, who was third in his trial when qualifying with the seventh fastest time. Mike Casselman trains the 9-5 favorite French Valley as well as Bear Down, who is a 30-1 longshot. Brother Ray is 8-1 on the morning line.
Casselman won the 2023 Governor’s Cup final as an owner and trainer with his homebred You See That. He’ll look to do it again with a half-brother to You See That, the Mpshinning gelding Mayor Humdinger, who like You See That is out of his mare Mindys Favorite.
“Everything that she’s had has tried to run a bit,” Casselman said. “(Mayor Humdinger) is a real neat horse, a lot fun to train.”
Mayor Humdinger is the second choice on the morning line at 9-2 odds.
Travis and Wendy Saxton’s El Dictator had the fastest qualifying time for the final while winning both of his career starts. El Dictator was too powerful in his trial, as he opened with a daylight advantage after the start before cruising home to a ¾ length victory. To be ridden by Armando Cervantes for trainer Ramiro Castillo, El Dictator is the third choice at 4-1.
“We’ve been in racing pretty much our whole life,” said Travis Saxton of Idaho Falls. “We keep buying horses at sales and keep running them and trying to get a better one. Midnight Mood last year qualified to a couple of big races so that was special.”
“This has been a dream of ours for a long time, to have horses race (at Los Alamitos),” Wendy Saxton added.
Jaime Gomez bred El Dictator, a gelding by Favorite Cartel out of This Boogie Fires, making him a half-brother to the Champion and millionaire J Fire Up, the winner of the 2017 Governor’s Cup Futurity. The Saxtons purchased El Dictator for $77,000 at the Heritage Place September Sale.
The field from the rail out is as follows: French Valley, Hurry Up, El Dictator, Fancy Upp, Hidden Speed, Brother Ray, Bear Down, Mayor Humdinger, Next Norco and Slatedtoshine.
