Page 168 - July 2016

Ed Burke Million Futurity-G1
CHAZAQ
by Tracy Gantz
While a horse can only win a particular futurity once, Chazaq’s victory in the Ed Burke Million Futurity-G1 at Los Alamitos on June 19 benefited from many veterans.
Trainer Jaime Gomez had won it three times previously, while owners Dr. James Streelman and Denny Boer captured it in 2005 with Higher Fire (trained by Gomez).
As for jockey Alejandro Luna, he visited the winner’s circle the year before in 2015 with Walk Thru Crystal.
“It’s crazy to win the Ed Burke Million again,” said Boer. “We did it with Higher Fire in ’05, and here we are again more than 10 years later.”
Going into the Ed Burke Million Futurity as the fastest qualifier and the 7-10 favorite, Chazaq certainly had the credentials. The gelding scored the win in his June 5 trial heat under Alejandro Luna. The gelding broke on top and leading at every call. His dominant performance had him finish 1 3/4-lengths to the good.
In the Ed Burke Million Futurity finals, however, a bobble at the start made the run a bit more problematic.
“He didn’t break as fast as he’s done in other races, but he didn’t make any other mistakes,” stated Luna.
Chazaq stumbled slightly after the gate opened. The talented gelding recovered almost immediately and didn’t let that deter him.
He powered to the front,
and though Worth Doing closed ground on the outside, Chazaq held him off to win by a 1/2-length in :17.484 for the 350 yards.
“He was gone after 50 yards; I didn’t have to do much,” said Luna.
Luna has ridden Chazaq in all five of
his starts. They ran second in an April 8 maiden race, and then scored by 3/4-length in a trial for the Robert Adair Kindergarten Futurity-G2. In the Kindergarten final, they ran second.
“It was just bad luck,” said Luna of the second in the Kindergarten Futurity. “He bumped the gate before the start, and then he leaned back and the gate opened just as he started leaning back.”
Luna not only rode back-to-back Ed Burke Million Futurity winners, he and Gomez collab- orated on Carters Cartel in 2007 and LD Fire in 2009, the latter in a dead heat for the win.
“Luna is a money rider,” said Gomez. “He’s never scared of a big race. That guy is solid—it’s as simple as that. The bigger the race, the better he rides.”
Not only have Gomez and Luna successfully partnered, Gomez has long trained for Streelman and Boer, who campaign under the name of Dutch Masters III. Gomez trained Champion Higher
166 SPEEDHORSE, July 2016
Los Alamitos $1,070,000 • 350 yards :17.484 • si 95
Holland Ease
Corona Cartel
Corona Chick
CHAZAQ, ‘14-g.
First Down Dash
All About Ease
Effortless Again
Fire for them. After Higher
Fire, Boer reduced his interest in racehorses. He and Streelman have been
friends since the first grade, and last year Streelman mentioned to Boer that it might be time to partner on a horse again. After Boer gave Streelman a budget, Streelman headed for the 2015 Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale.
“I bought three horses that would work with his budget, and we liked Chazaq the most,” said Streelman of the horse. “We loved his breeding.”
Bobby Cox, who bred Chazaq in Texas, consigned him to the sale, where Streelman purchased the youngster for $42,000. Chazaq is out of the First Down Dash mare All About
Chazaq and Alejandro Luna win the $1,070,000 Ed Burke Million Futurity-G1 by 1/2-length
RACING NEWS
Scott Martinez, Los Alamitos