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The Grade 2 Los Alamitos Futurity offers six aspiring 2-year-olds an opportunity to get on the radar on the highway to the 150th Kentucky Derby Offered by Woodford Reserve subsequent Could, and in addition awards factors within the sequence which might be essential as these colts progress. Bob Baffert, who received the Los Alamitos Futurity seven straight occasions from 2014 by means of 2020, saddles three horses within the subject led by Wine Me Up, who completed second within the Grade 1 American Pharoah Stakes in October earlier than a second-to-last place effort within the FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Juvenile introduced by TAA. Stronghold earned stakes expertise when he completed second final month within the Grade 3 Bob Hope Stakes. Ace of Golf equipment has each two-turn and stakes expertise, albeit on turf, ending fourth within the Grade 3 Zuma Seashore Stakes then fifth within the Qatar Golden Mile Stakes in November. The opposite three try to go from maiden winner to stakes winner, however that isn’t exceptional as a variety of gifted 2-year-olds have completed that feat on this race in current historical past. These three horses are Moonlit Sonata, and the Baffert pair of Coach Prime and Wynstock.
Prime contenders:
Coach Prime is called after Deion Sanders, former star soccer participant and now coach of the Colorado College Buffaloes. The equine Coach Prime hasn’t but achieved that degree of success, however he would possibly over the subsequent few months if the expertise displayed in his 7 ¼-length win final month is indicative of what he would possibly accomplish within the Los Alamitos Futurity and on the highway to the Kentucky Derby in 2024. That win got here in solely the second race of his profession and in his first strive round two activates filth. In that race, Coach Prime displayed an amazing expertise as he moved shortly from sixth with a quarter-mile to run to be in entrance by two lengths with an eighth of a mile to go, widening his lead with ease after that. The hassle earned a 96 Equibase Velocity Determine, which not solely signifies the quickest race run so far by any of the horses on this race, it’s additionally pretty much as good because the figures earned by the final two winners of this race – Sensible Transfer and Gradual Down Andy. Contemplating we should always anticipate enchancment off that effort within the third begin of his profession, Coach Prime is the one to beat on this race and will present Bob Baffert together with his 11th win within the final 16 editions of the Los Alamitos Futurity.
Stronghold has extra racing expertise, and stakes expertise, than Coach Prime and that would imply one thing within the late levels of this race. After a runner-up debut in August in a six-furlong dash, Stronghold stretched out to 2 turns and confirmed good maturity, in addition to potential, when beginning out fourth then transferring to the lead with three-eighths of a mile to run, earlier than drawing off. In doing so, he improved to an 89 Equibase Velocity Determine from 86 in his debut. Stronghold then ran within the Bob Hope Stakes on Nov. 19, when he began third then moved as much as interact the chief after a half-mile. Main by a head at that time, Stronghold succumbed to eventual 8 ¾-length winner Nysos however was nonetheless nicely away from the third-place horse on the end. Though his effort yielded a lesser 83 determine than the earlier race, it may have been he didn’t must run that arduous to carry second after the trigger was misplaced. The case could be made Stronghold may enhance markedly off his earlier effort, and when mixed with extra racing expertise, that provides him an opportunity on the slight upset.
Moonlit Sonata is skilled by Tim Yakteen, who saddled the 2022 Los Alamitos Futurity winner, Sensible Transfer, to victory. Sensible Transfer had completed third within the Bob Hope, just like Stronghold having completed second in that race this yr. Moonlit Sonata broke slowly in a 10-horse subject in his debut three weeks in the past, however the gifted colt placed on a show after that by racing six paths huge on the far flip to go from fourth to second coming into the stretch, earlier than simply transferring by the chief to win by 2 1/2 lengths. Quite a lot of current maiden winners in historical past have received the Los Alamitos Futurity, and contemplating the 90 pace determine Moonlit Sonata earned in that debut victory lately, and contemplating his pedigree (Malibu Moon out of a Distorted Humor mare) strongly suggests he’ll run even higher round two turns, it’s fully doable he can take an enormous step ahead to win this race.
The remainder of the sector (with finest Equibase Velocity Determine): Ace of Golf equipment (89), Wine Me Up (94) and Wynstock (85).
Win contenders, in choice/likelihood order:
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