Lethal Cowboy 123, under jockey Edwin Escobedo, won the Grade 1 $1,832,950 Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity on Sunday night. © William Zuazo
LOS ALAMITOS, CA–DECEMBER 15, 2024–When trainer Marc Jungers led the multiple stakes-winning filly Asscher into the winner's circle after the running of the Holiday Handicap on December 30, 2023, it was the first time that he had been in the winner's circle at Los Alamitos since the great Denim N Diamonds was blazing through the Orange County straightaway in 1981.
Less than 12 months later and after a whirlwind year full of stakes victories and incredible success, Jungers once again led a great racehorse, this one named Lethal Cowboy 123 into a winner's circle full of joy following the gelding's outstanding victory in California's richest Quarter Horse race of the year, the $1,823,950 Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity here on Sunday night.
It was a gritty victory for the gelding by leading second-crop sire Flying Cowboy 123 in the 30th running of the Two Million, as he outlasted fastest qualifier Brown Coffeee by a neck in a thrilling finish in the 400-yard race.
The winning connections of Lethal Cowboy 123 accept the Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity stakes trophy. © William Zuazo
With Edwin Escobedo aboard for owners Caliche Walls Venture, Jimmy Barton, Lance Bland and Alan Isbell, Lethal Cowboy 123 covered the distance in :19.694 from post number two while scoring his fifth win in eight starts.
Bred in California by Veronica Gail Kawananakoa, Lethal Cowboy 123 has finished first or second in every one of his outings, one of those runner-up efforts coming in the Grade 1, $1,074,000 Golden State Million Futurity also from post number two. His first-place earnings of $758,499 in the Two Million took his career bankroll to $976,567.
Purchased for $150,000 at the 2023 Los Alamitos Equine Sale, Lethal Cowboy 123 is out of the First Down Dash mare Pretty Lethal, who had a modest racing career with only $5,000 in earnings, but a strong pedigree as a half-sister to All American Futurity winner JM Miracle, and $55,000 earner Volcoms Delight. Lethal Cowboy 123's family also includes $426,000 earner Volcom Bay and multiples stakes winner Relentless Eagle.
Lethal Cowboy 123 in the Los Alamitos saddling paddock prior to his Grade 1 Sunday night. © William Zuazo
For Jungers, this has been a magnificent year. The trainer reached 50 wins for the first time in a single year and his earnings for 2024 now stand at over $2.75 million, which moves him up to eighth place nationally. In addition to Lethal Cowboy 123, Jungers also had success this year with Asscher, who won the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Oaks and the Grade 2 Dash For Cash Derby and the Purina Feeds Texas Classic Oaks both at Lone Star Park. He also trained Shakers No Secret to victory in the Grade 1 AQHA Challenge Championship and a third-place finish in the Grade 1 Champion of Champions; and Relentless Eagle to victory in the Grade 1 Texas Classic Derby and a dead-heat for first with Asscher in the Dash For Cash Derby.
"It's something you dream about," Jungers said of his success. "We knew we had a good horse (in Lethal Cowboy 123) and we were looking forward to bringing him out here. It's been a stellar year and we've been very, very lucky."
At the post-position selection luncheon for this race, Jungers was last of 10 to select a post position for the Los Alamitos Two Million. Essentially, Lethal Cowboy 123 got the post that no one else wanted for this race, post number two.
Trainer Marc Jungers (left) and Roman Figueroa congratulate each other at Los Alamitos Sunday night
Jungers was peeved initially to not having a choice of post position, but he remembered that post two served Lethal Cowboy 123 well in the Golden State Million.
"After we drew the last spot, I was a little upset, a little disappointed, I called my wife and she said, 'Relax and what happens, happens. You'll get the (post) that you need. That's all.' He ran a huge, huge race. I don't know what to stay. It's amazing. He's been training really well. After the trials and I'm not trying to be a smart aleck or anything, but a week after he ran, 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. It's been a great, great experience. My wife and I have had the pleasure of meeting Roman and his wife, Brenda, and they've pretty much been running our operation out here."
Meanwhile, the ownership group of Lethal Cowboy 123 had a blast in the winner's circle celebrating their outstanding Grade 1 winner. The group includes Leon Harrel, a legend in cutting horse competitions and a member of the National Cutting Horse Association Hall of Fame.
Ben Hudston presents the winning owners the Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity stakes trophy. © William Zuazo
"When we drew post two some of the guys weren't too excited, but I said 'I think it's perfect,' " Harrel said. "I said if he gets out, he'll outrun those other two horses and he'll have a clean track. (Edwin) rode him beautifully and (the horse) did exactly what we thought he could do. It's been a long time since I've been with the racehorses. I've been in the cutting horse business all my life. As I got older, I started claiming horses with Marc and got in it again a couple of years ago. It's absolutely amazing. I've probably owned 10 racehorses over my lifetime."
Lance Bland, who was at Los Alamitos earlier in the year for Asscher's Oaks, was all smiles in the winner's circle as well.
"We've had the best luck," he said. "It's a gift from God and now it's a great Christmas present to finish out the year. We formed this partnership in the Ruidoso at the sale a couple of years ago. It just clicked. It's about four or five of us that have stayed together. There's been a few more of us, but now I don't think you can break us up. I think we've had enough success together and Marc has been a great help to all of us. The jockeys that ride our horses have been unbelievable.
"Marc came out here to the Los Alamitos Sale and you know it's late in the year and we had spent a lot of money already at other sales, but he came across this one and he called us. There were a few of us that said, 'Yeah, we're on board,' and some of us weren't but then we all decided to come together for this horse. It's worked out great and I think we'll be back (to the sale). Alan Isbell agreed.
"I just couldn't ask for better partners. I've been racing horses lots of years and this is the best Christmas ever. The first horse that I ever won with was bought out here at the Los Alamitos Equine Sale. That's why when Marc said that he was coming out here, I said that it was meant to be." Jimmy Barton was thrilled for Jungers and the team.
"This was his 50th win of the year tonight and he was just trying to get to $2 million and he blew past the $2 million. It's pretty much been a dream season. This horse is unique in that on our partnership from a year ago I originally didn't buy into this horse. We bought a really nice prospect but (the horse) passed away from pneumonia. I thought I needed another horse so my partners were gracious enough to let me in and buy into this horse. I owe them a great deal of gratitude."
While Lethal Cowboy 123 had the last pick in post position draft, Monte and Katsy Cluck and Ross Roark's Brown Coffeee had the first pick. Trainer Heath Taylor selected post number nine and it nearly worked to perfection for the connections.
The gelding by champion Good Reason SA out of the Mr Jess Perry mare Amore La Blue had the lead for most of the race and his outstanding runner-up effort under jockey Jose Nicasio earned him $307,012. Bred by Silver Racing Farm, Brown Coffeee is a graduate of the Ruidoso Yearling Sale.
Gamaliel Garza Garcia's Devils Tower showed his super talent by running third even while lugging out throughout the race. Bred by Steve Burns, the son of leading sire Favorite Cartel earned $216,714 for earning show money here under jockey Martin Arriaga for trainer Juan Aleman. Devils Tower was also third in the Grade 1 Ed Burke Million Futurity back in June.
Dunn Ranch's homebred filly American Dreamin, the Golden State Million winner, trailed the three leaders the entire way and held on to post a solid fourth. Her earnings in this race of $126,416 pushed her total bankroll to $579,357. That makes the daughter of Apollitical Jess currently the nation's leading money earning female Quarter Horse for 2024. Armando Cervantes rode American Dreamin from post 10.
The complete order of finish of the 30th running of the Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity is as follows: Lethal Cowboy 123, Brown Coffeee, Devils Tower, American Dreamin, Ohana Spirit, Walking Tool, My Budd, Cowboy Bolt, and Apolitical Chilitas.
For additional information for breeding contract call Royal Vista Ranch farm manager Laura Erickson at (405) 449-7575.
Story and images courtesy of Stallion ESearch.
Comments