LOS ALAMITOS : Magnificent Effort Leads Breeders’ Field

A contentious group of 10 juveniles will race Friday night in the $281,000 PCQHRA Breeders’ Futurity at Los Alamitos.

Making only his second start at Los Alamitos, fastest qualifier Magnificent Effort won the first of five trials on Sept. 22 in 17.71 seconds. The gelding spent the early part of the year in Utah and Wyoming before finishing second in a maiden race here Aug. 11.

Magnificent Effort is one of three finalists trained by Blane Schvaneveldt. Templetonian, who finished second to Magnificent Effort, and Million Dollar Down, who won the fourth trial, also qualified.

“They’re all three nice horses,” Schvaneveldt said. “Magnificent Effort ran a super race. Templetonian got away terrible but got running pretty good, and Million Dollar Down is getting better each time out.”

Despite Schvaneveldt’s strong entry, the horse drawing the most attention is Red Hot Rhythm, who easily won the Kindergarten Futurity earlier this year and is undefeated in four starts.

“With that horse, it’s not a matter of who’s going to be the toughest, it’s a matter of your horse beating himself,” trainer Brian Koriner said.

Ridden by Ralph Seville in the last trial heat, Red Hot Rhythm jumped at the start, spotting the field a length. The colt showed his class by running down the leaders and drawing away to win by 1 1/4 lengths in 17.76 seconds, the third-fastest time.

After his Kindergarten Futurity victory on May 26, Red Hot Rhythm had surgery to remove bone chips from his knees. The trial was his first race back.

Other notable finalists include second-fastest qualifier Brisco County Jr, a full brother of Champion Four Forty Blast.

The qualifiers: Magnificent Effort, 17.71; Brisco County Jr, 17.72; Red Hot Rhythm, 17.76; Templetonian, 17.78; This Perks Is Royal, 17.79; Jettin For Royalty, 17.82; Dashing Millie, 17.84; Million Dollar Down, 17.86; Seeking, 17.87, and Better Bet On Me, 17.87.5.

Los Alamitos Notes

Trainer Blane Schvaneveldt scored a clean sweep of last Saturday night’s $21,330 AQHA California Derby Challenge when he saddled the first three finishers, Miga Ja, Simply Scorching and Like A Jewel. Schvaneveldt conditioned six of the 10 finalists. . . . Jockey Joe Badilla Jr. rode No Winetillitstime to victory in the $13,320 AQHA California Claiming Stakes Challenge last Saturday. No Winetillitstime was making his first California start for trainer Heath Taylor. . . . Post time on Sunday has been changed to 5 p.m., starting this weekend.