Los Alamitos Two-Million Futurity

Lethal Cowboy 123, a sorrel son of Flying Cowboy 123 and the second-fastest qualifier, won Sunday's Grade 1, $1,823,950 Los Alamitos Two-Million Futurity at Los Alamitos Racecourse.

Trained by Marc Jungers for owners Caliche Walls Venture LLC, Alan Isbell, Lance Bland, and Jimmy Barton, Lethal Cowboy 123 went 400 yards in :19.694, and his margin of victory was a neck from fastest qualifier Brown Coffeee. Edwin Escobedo rode the California-bred gelding, who banked the $758,499 winner's share of the purse from California's richest horse race.

Lethal Cowboy 123 was bred by Veronica Gail Kawananakoa, and he was a $150,000 purchase at last year's Los Alamitos Equine Sale. The gelding is out of Pretty Lethal, a winning daughter of First Down Dash and a half sister to 2014 All American Futurity (G1) winner JM MIracle.

“It’s something you dream about,” Jungers said. “We knew we had a good horse (in Lethal Cowboy 123) and we were looking forward to bringing him out here."

Lethal Cowboy 123 was coming off of a three-quarter length victory in his Two-Million Futurity trial on November 24. At the post position selection luncheon for this race, Jungers was last of 10 to select a post position and Lethal Cowboy 123 got the post that no one else wanted, post 2.

“After we drew the last spot, I was a little upset, a little disappointed," Jungers said. "I called my wife and she said, ‘Relax and what happens, happens. You’ll get the (post) that you need.’

"He’d been training really well," he added. "A week after the trials, he was ready to run again. (Roman Figueroa) has been doing a great job out here helping me keep this horse together because he was hot. He was ready to run. Roman and his wife, Brenda, have pretty much been running our operation out here.”

Raced in two states, including New Mexico, Lethal Cowboy 123 has won five of his eight starts and has earned $976,567. His record includes a second-place finish in the October 27,  $1.074-million Golden State Million Futurity  (G1).

Devils Tower finished third and was followed by American Dreamin, Ohana Spirit, Walking Tool, My Budd, Cowboy Bolt, and Apolitical Chilitas.

Click here for a more detailed recap of the race.

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