Los Alamitos Futurity

Welcome to the Road to the Kentucky Derby, Journalism. Showcasing the same stalk-and-pounce ability that earned him a maiden win going just a 1/16 of a mile shorter last month, Journalism (Curlin) employed the same tactics Saturday night to upset a trio of Bob Baffert runners and take the GII Los Alamitos Futurity for Michael McCarthy and earn himself 10 points toward the first Saturday in May. The least experienced runner in the field by starts made (tied with 26-1 longshot Mellencamp {Constitution} who exited the same debut race), the...

A six-time winner of the race in its days at Hollywood Park, including with future GI Kentucky Derby hero Real Quiet (Quiet American) in 1997, trainer Bob Baffert took the first seven runnings of the GII Los Alamitos Futurity after the relocation to Ocean County in 2014 and ran his overall total to 14 when Wnystock (Solomini) caused a 13-1 upset last year. Just five juvenile males have taken up the challenge this term, three of whom are trained by Baffert, and Gaming (Game Winner) is an all-the-way candidate at...

MGSW/GISP 'TDN Rising Star' Messier (Empire Maker--Checkered Past, by Smart Strike) will stand stud in 2025 at New York's Rockridge Stud for $5,000 LFSN in a deal brokered by Matt Bowling of Bowling Bloodstock, the farm announced Friday. The Sam-Son Farm homebred was purchased at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearlings Sale by Donato Lanni on behalf of SF Bloodstock, Madaket Stables, and Starlight Racing for $470,000 and broke his maiden in his 2nd start to become a 'Rising Star', winning by 6 1/2 lengths. He bested Forbidden Kingdom (American Pharoah)...

A quartet of juvenile stakes highlight the stakes schedule for the Los Alamitos winter Thoroughbred meeting. The $300,000 GII Starlet S. for the 2-year-old fillies will take place for the 10th time at the Orange County venue and will take place Saturday, Dec. 9, one week prior to the running of the male counterpart, the $200,000 GII Los Alamitos Futurity. Each race is run over a mile and a sixteenth. The two other 2-year-old stakes are restricted to California-bred and or -sired horses. The $100,000 Soviet Problem S. for fillies...

'TDN Rising Star' Forte (Violence)'s dominant sophomore debut in Saturday's GII Fountain of Youth S. at Gulfstream is understandably going to generate glowing headlines because of his kingpin status as the comebacking divisional champion. But that sharp win shouldn't overshadow the thoroughly convincing GII San Felipe S. score by Practical Move (Practical Joke) at Santa Anita, which on its own terms was emphatic enough to merit a significant reshuffling of the deck of GI Kentucky Derby contenders. The Fountain of Youth S. has evolved into somewhat of a "trap" race...

Practical Move (Practical Joke), upset winner of the GII Los Alamitos Futurity Dec. 17, returned to the worktab for the first time since at Santa Anita Saturday morning, drilling a half-mile in a strong :47.80 (7/60). Trainer Tim Yakteen told the Santa Anita press office that the bay colt--bred by Chad Brown and Head of Plains Partners--'moved well' in the work. "Well give him a few more works and see where we're at, but we're looking at sometime in late February or early March," said Yakteen. "We have a few...

In each of his four previous trips to the post, Practical Move (Practical Joke) had finished behind Bob Baffert-trained runners, but the bay colt--conditioned by former Baffert assistant Tim Yakteen--exacted his revenge in a big spot Saturday afternoon, outfinishing pacesetting Carmel Road (Quality Road) to upset the GII Los Alamitos Futurity as the 10-1 second-longest price on the board. Fort Bragg (Tapit), who was demoted from an apparent victory over Practical Move two starts back, completed the trifecta, while hot favorite 'TDN Rising Star' Arabian Lion (Justify) was a spent...

The six-day winter Thoroughbred meet at Los Alamitos will begin Friday, Dec. 9. Racing will be conducted Friday-Sunday both weeks with a 12:30 p.m. post time. The meet will be highlighted by the GI Starlet S. Dec. 10, offering 10 points towards the GI Kentucky Oaks, and GII Los Alamitos Futurity S. Dec. 17, with 10 points towards the GI Kentucky Derby. Completing the stakes program are a pair of one-mile races for 2-year-olds bred or sired in California, the $100,000 Soviet Problem S. for fillies Dec. 11 and the...

The Dec. 10 GI Starlet S. for juvenile fillies and Dec. 17 GII Los Alamitos Futurity highlight Los Alamito's Racecourse's upcoming six-day Winter Thoroughbred Meet, with racing scheduled for Friday-Sunday the weeks of Dec. 9 and Dec. 16. Also on the schedule are the Dec. 11 Soviet Problem S. for Cal-bred or sired juvenile fillies and the corresponding King Glorious S. for males Dec. 18.

Reddam Racing homebred Slow Down Andy (Nyquist) upset 'TDN Rising Star' and last-out GIII Bob Hope S. winner Messier (Empire Maker) Saturday with a decisive score in the GII Los Alamitos Futurity S. A debut winner against fellow Cal-breds going 5 1/2 panels at Santa Anita Oct. 9, he was a close second in Del Mar's seven-furlong Golden State Juvenile S. Nov. 5 and was dispatched at 5-1 in this first try around two turns and against open company. Away a step slow from the outside stall in this field...

After 8 1/2 furlongs of Saturday's GII Los Alamitos Futurity, it was a 'Close Encounter' with pacesetting outsider The Great One (Nyquist)--playing 'Catch Me If You Can'--but $1-million Keeneland September yearling purchase Spielberg (Union Rags) managed to snatch victory from the 'Jaws' of defeat, as he was the recipient of the kindest of headbobs to give Bob Baffert his seventh consecutive victory in the event, now held at the Orange County oval. Drawn widest in a field of six, the second betting choice attended the pace three wide outside of...

Red Flag (Tamarkuz), last seen romping in the GIII Bob Hope S. Nov. 15, headlines Saturday's GII Los Alamitos Futurity S. Off the board in his main track debut Sept. 6, the chestnut graduated in a turf sprint at Santa Anita Oct. 10 and romped by 7 1/4 lengths in Del Mar's seven-panel Bob Hope back on dirt, earning an 81 Beyer Speed Figure. This will be his first try around two turns. The only horse in the field to run a faster number is Spielberg (Union Rags), who earned...