LOS ALAMITOS : Price Has Two Shots at Money in $200,000 Race

Trainer Paul Price will be looking for the biggest stakes victory of his career when he saddles two finalists in the $200,000 Ed Burke Memorial Futurity Friday night at Los Alamitos.

Price trains Costal Classic, who had the top qualifying time for the Futurity, and the filly Mega Storm. Both horses were extremely impressive in the July 14 trials.

Ridden by Jim Lewis, Costal Classic started in the first of the five trials and turned in a flawless performance to win the 350-yard race by 1 1/4 lengths. The gelding’s winning time of 17.69 seconds easily stood up through the remaining four trials as the top time of the evening.

“I don’t think you ever expect one to run that good,” Price said. “That was a pleasant surprise when he ran as good as he did.”

Costal Classic, owned by Donald Ryan, earned his third victory in six starts. He won a trial for the Governor’s Cup Futurity, then finished third to Splash Bac in the final after running erratically from the outside post position.

“He just looks like he’s getting better every time,” Price said. “He’s done everything we’ve asked perfectly.”

Price also has high expectations for Mega Storm.

“She’s made a lot of mistakes but she’s getting better,” Price said. “She’s been a mind game all along.”

Mega Storm, a full sister of champion Mega Dash, was green in her first two outings, when she drew the outside post both times. The filly then ran second in a trial for the Governor’s Cup Futurity and was fifth in the final.

Owned by Edward Allred, Mega Storm broke her maiden in her fifth attempt, the Ed Burke Futurity trials. With Dusty Stimpson aboard, Mega Storm led the 350-yard dash from wire to wire, winning by three-quarters of a length.

“When she gets in front, she waits for something to catch her,” Price said. “In the trial, I thought she did everything in the world to get herself beat, but she was far enough in front they couldn’t catch her.”

Price began his career in Idaho and moved to Los Alamitos five years ago. A victory would give the 35-year-old trainer his first graded stakes victory in more than 15 years of conditioning.

“As a kid, I always dreamed of winning the All American [Futurity],” Price said. “This would be a big steppingstone for me if I could pull this one off.”

The 10 finalists for the Grade I Ed Burke Memorial Futurity are Costal Classic (17.69 seconds), First And Proud (17.84), Sign Here Please (17.87), Free Thinker (17.89), Mega Storm (17.91), First Ace Down (17.91), Dashing Millie (17.92), Splash Bac (17.93), Two Bit Fly (17.97) and Who Darted (18.00).

Los Alamitos Notes

Jockey Jose Fuentes, who was injured July 16, has been released from Los Alamitos Medical Center and is expected to be out for at least three months. . . . Speedy Lunch bettered his position as the top distance horse in the nation with a two-length victory in the Pat Hyland Memorial Handicap Saturday night. . . . Jockey Dusty Stimpson earned his first stakes victory at Los Alamitos Saturday night aboard favored Better Bet On Me in the $16,920 AQHA California Juvenile Challenge. . . . World champion Down With Debt won the $44,250 Spencer Childers California Breeders Championship by a neck Friday night, her second victory of the year. The 5-year-old mare is expected to make her next start in the Grade I Go Man Go Handicap on Aug. 19. . . . Dennis Rodman of the San Antonio Spurs attended the races Sunday evening. . . . For the record: Jockey Dihigi Gladney earned his first career victory, not his first stakes victory, in the Arabian Ambir Dragon on July 14.