Trainer Bob Baffert sends out a pair in Saturday’s Los Alamitos Futurity (Photo credit: Los Alamitos Race Course).
Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert will send out to two likely favorites in Saturday’s $350,000 Los Alamitos Futurity (G1), the last Grade 1 race for juveniles in 2015.
Baffert has won the Futurity a record seven times, six at Hollywood Park and last year with Dortmund in the first time it was run at Los Alamitos.
First run in 1981, the race has produced quite a few top class horses including Snow Chief, A.P. Indy, Best Pal, Real Quiet, Point Given, Lookin At Lucky and Shared Belief.
The race is a Road to the Kentucky Derby points race with 10-4-2-1 points up for grabs to the top four finishers.
Baffert’s Mor Spirit is the 8-5 morning line favorite and is coming off a good effort in the two-turn Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) at Churchill Downs. The colt is currently listed at +1500 in Kentucky Derby future wagering at Mybookie.ag.
His stablemate Toews On Ice gives Baffert a one-two punch and the colt has won three in a row including a pair of stakes. He makes his first start around two turns today.
I will have full card reports available for Saturday for both Aqueduct and Gulfstream Park along with my Best Plays Report.
There are three stakes on the 11-race card at Gulfstream Park. The feature is the $100,000 Mr. Prospector (G3) at six furlongs on the main track. The co-features are both on turf, the $75,000 Tropical Park Derby and the $75,000 Tropical Park Oaks.
The feature at the Big A on Saturday is the $100,000 Queen’s County at nine furlongs on the inner track. The Todd Pletcher trained Tommy Macho is the 2-1 morning line favorite.
Let’s head out to Los Al for Saturday’s featured race of the day:
Los Alamitos Futurity G1 Post time 3:58 PT
5 Mor Spirit 8-5
2 Frank Conversation 8-1
4 Toews On Ice 9-5
3 Hollywood Don 6-1
Mor Spirit is one of two in here sent out by the Hall of Fame Bob Baffert barn that has won this race a record seven times including last year with Dortmund. The $650,000 son of Eskendereya broke his maiden in his second career start at Santa Anita when stretched out to a mile and then ran a good second in the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) at Churchill Downs. The winner of that race was Airoforce, who won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) in his previous start. The ridgling should get a god tracking trip sitting just off what looks like a sharp pace.
Frank Conversation goes turf to dirt here for the Doug O’Neill barn. The colt broke his maiden in his second career start and then tracked the early pace and finished evenly in a third place finish in the Cecil B. Demille (G3) on turf at Del Mar. The $120,000 Ocala purchase faded to finish eighth in his debut in his lone go on dirt, but that was at 5 ½ furlongs. He is bred to like dirt., by Quality Road out of stakes placed Unusual Heat mare.
Toews On Ice is also sent out by Baffert and come sin riding a three race winning streak. He won the Bob Hope (G3) last out at seven furlongs and this will be his first start around two turns. By Archarcharch out of a stakes placed D’wildcat mare, his pedigree leans a bit more toward one turn. The Baffert barn is 25% winners moving runners from sprint to route.
Wagering:
WIN: Mor Spirit to win at 8-5 or better.
EXACTA: 2,5 / 2,3,4,5
TRIFECTA: 2,5 / 2,3,4,5 / 1,2,3,4,5
