Monopolist not only choice

When Monopolist won the $375,000 Pacific Coast Quarter Horse Racing Association Breeders’ Futurity on Oct. 3, trainer Jimmy Glenn said in the winner’s circle that the gelding would be raced sparingly this fall.

“We’re not going to do too much with him,” Glenn said at the time.

Glenn’s plan has worked out spectacularly so far. Monopolist won a division of the time trials of the Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity on Nov. 22, earning a berth in Sunday’s $1,977,250 final at 400 yards.

Getting there may have been the easy part.

In a field of 10, a case can be made for more than half of the field to win the track’s richest race.

Monopolist is firmly on that list, and has left Glenn optimistic with his recent training.

“You couldn’t have a horse come up to a race any better,” Glenn said Friday. “He came out of the [trial] race really sharp. He stood in the gate on Wednesday and he galloped like a million bucks.”

Owned by Ed Allred, the owner of Los Alamitos, Monopolist drew the rail in the Los Alamitos Two Million. He won the PCQHRA Breeders’ Futurity from the same position.

“He ran great from the rail,” Glenn said. “I like our post. Some of the better horses are on the outside, and I think we’ll have a clear run. That’s all I can ask for here.”

Monopolist won his trial race in 19.696 seconds and has the second-fastest time for the final. Apollitical Patty, who could go favored, won a division of the trials by two lengths in 19.64. A filly, Apollitical Patty was sixth in the $1,104,550 Golden State Million Futurity on Nov. 1 after being upset in the gate before the start.

The Golden State Million was won by Apollitical Gold, who returned to set the third-fastest qualifying time for Sunday’s race with a trial win in 19.697. Trained by Eddie Willis, Apollitical Gold was third in the $3 million All American Futurity at Ruidoso Downs on Sept. 7.

Counting the Ways and Famous Cartel Jess, who were fifth and ninth in the Golden State Million Futurity, also qualified for Sunday’s race.

Counting the Ways won a division of the Los Alamitos Two Million trials in 19.71.

“I really think he’s the real thing,” trainer Jose Flores said.

A gelding, Counting the Ways has struggled at times to maintain his appetite this fall, but has been a more robust eater lately, Flores said. Medical tests said nothing was amiss.

“He started eating everything,” Flores said. “It’s weird sometimes. I pulled blood and everything. Sometimes, something bugs them.”

Flores considers Terrific Temper, a trial race winner in 19.76 for trainer Chris O’Dell, to be a leading threat from the outside post position. Terrific Temper won a division of the PCQHRA Breeders’ Futurity trials in September from the outside post, but bled in that race and did not start in the final.

She emerged from the Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity trials without incident, O’Dell said last month.

“Six or seven can win,” he said. “She loves it on the outside.”