Page 112 - November 2015

Golden State Million Futurity-G1
LITTLE TALKS
by Tracy Gantz
Good broodmares starred through their offspring on the night of Nov. 1 at Los Alamitos.
First, Brazilian Dasher, the dam of All American Derby-G1 winner Apollitical Blood, got another stakes winner when Apollitical Dynasty captured the Golden State Juvenile. Then in the final for the Golden State Million Futurity-G1, the mare Babe On The Fly added to her already impressive record with California-bred Little Talks.
For Steve and Jo Rae Burns, who bred and own Little Talks, the Golden State Million Futurity was a double blessing. They also stand the stallion, Favorite Cartel, at their Burns Ranch in Menifee, California.
“I own 50 percent of Favorite Cartel and Paul Jones and Thompson Racing own the other half,” said Steve Burns. “It’s great for the stallion and our partners.”
The partners raced Favorite Cartel to sev- eral stakes victories, including the 2011 AQHA Championship Challenge-G1 at Los Alamitos and the Bank of America Los Alamitos Challenge. Little Talks is from his first crop.
“Favorite Cartel is such a nice horse to be around,” stated Jo Rae Burns. “His babies seem to be very smart. That’s half of the battle right there.”
Steve and Jo Rae named Little Talks after a song by the Icelandic group Of Monsters and Men. The filly stayed home for the All American trials, winning three races at Los Alamitos. Instead, the Burnses qualified Crooked Path (also by Favorite Cartel) and Hatefulist to the All American Futurity-G1. Those two horses ran unplaced in the final.
Little Talks ran second by just a nose to Docs Best Card in their trial for the Golden State Million on Oct. 18. Docs Best Card qualified as the fastest for the final, while Little Talks was the second fastest qualifier.
Little Talks went off as the 7-2 third choice in the Golden State Million Futurity finals behind the fillies Thermonuclear Energy and Walk Thru Crystal.
Walk Thru Crystal rocketed out of the gate on top and held the early lead, while Little Talks and jockey Cesar DeAlba broke fourth from the five-hole. Little Talks lugged out, but never gave up and kept at her task until she overtook the leader and held off closers to win by a neck in :19.934 for the 400-yards.
“She kept her cool,” said DeAlba. “She broke well, but a couple of horses were ahead
2014 Ruidoso Derby-G1 winner Rock You, an earner of $768,315. The mare also has produced stakes winners Carne Vino, JM Specialwynn, and Wrap You Up plus stakes- placed Glock, Annas Babe, and Redd Tailed Hawk.
Jaime Gomez owns
and trains Docs Best Card (Corona Cartel-Docs First Card), who finished second. Oscar Peinado rode the colt.
This was Docs Best Card’s third second in major futurities at Los Alamitos.
The Parsons Family Limited Partnership’s homebred Thermonuclear Energy (Walk Thru Fire-Terrific Energy) ran third with Cody Jensen in the irons. Christopher O’Dell trains the filly, who had finished first or second
in each of her four previous starts at the California track.
Completing the field were Walk Thru Crystal (Walk Thru Fire-Corona Crystal), Mi Viejo (Mr Jess Perry-Lady Of Lake-TB), El Karma (TR Dasher-Sonora Cartel), Gotcha Bella (Mr Jess Perry-Designateddriver), and Favorite Kiss (Favorite Cartel-The Goodbye Kisser). Fire At Will was scratched.
of us. That’s been the case with her. She has to do the catching up, which is fine as long as she eventually does catch up. I didn’t think we were going to catch Walk Thru Crystal. She was in front of me, but then I started seeing that we were making up ground.”
Mike Casselman trains Little Talks for the Burnses. “I finished second in this
race three years ago with Seperate Interest, so I’m excited to win it,” Casselman said.
“Cesar knows her well, and this filly has matured a great deal,” the trainer continued. “We gave her some time off after she ran fourth in the Governor’s Cup Futurity-RG2 on July 25, and I could see a difference in her when she came back.”
The Burnses usually sell offspring from stakes-placed Babe On The Fly. They kept Little Talks, however, because she had a small wound on her shin. The mare also had several other 2013 foals by proven stallions that would likely bring more at auction.
Babe On The Fly has produced 14 winners from 22 starters. Her biggest thus far has been
Los Alamitos $995,043 • 400 yards :19.934 • si 86
Favorite Trick-TB
Favorite Cartel
Shenoshercorona
LITTLE TALKS, ’13-f.
Strawfly Special
Babe On The Fly
Six On The Beach
110 SPEEDHORSE, November 2015
Little Talks & Cesar DeAlba win the $995,043 Golden State Million Futurity-G1 by a neck
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