Kentucky Derby prep: Baffert has 3 of 5 in Los Al Futurity
Photo:
Max Sharp / Eclipse Sportswire
Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert entered the trio of Gaming,
Getaway Car and Mellencamp as he seeks his ninth win in 11 years in the Grade 2,
$200,000 Los Alamitos Futurity on Saturday, a points prep for Kentucky Derby
2025.
The test at 1 1/16 miles for 2-year-olds is the eighth of
nine races on the next-to-last day of the December meet at Los Alamitos. Post
time Saturday is 3:30 p.m. EST. The approximate time for the Futurity is 7 p.m.
Click here for Los Alamitos entries and results.
Owned by Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman, Gaming
is a son of 2019 Los Alamitos Derby winner Game Winner. He was the runner-up
behind 15-1 long-shot stablemate Citizen Bull in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile on Nov.
1 at Del Mar.
More than three lengths clear in his first try at the
Futurity distance, the dark bay who was bought for $250,000 at the Ocala Breeders’
Sales March auction is 2-for-3 in is career with earnings of $565,000. Out of
Johannesburg mare So Stylish, Gaming already is a Grade 1 winner, having
captured the Del Mar Futurity on Sept. 8.
Flavien Prat will ride Gaming from post 1.
Fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, Getaway Car will be
aiming for his second graded success for a partnership that includes Starlight
Racing, SF Racing, Madaket Stables, Stonestreet Stables, Dianne Bashor,
Determined Stables, Bat Masterson, Tom Ryan, Waves Edge Capital and Catherine
Donovan.
A Curlin colt out of Morning Line mare Surrender Now,
Getaway Car followed an easy score in his July 20 debut with a dominant victory
in the Best Pal (G3) 22 days later.
A winner twice in five starts, the Kentucky bred who was a
$700,000 buy at the September Keeneland sale last year has banked $313,000.
After his two wins he was fourth in the Del Mar Futurity and second behind
Citizen Bull in the American Pharoah (G1) before the BC Juvenile.
Juan Hernández will be up on Getaway Car, who drew post 2.
Mellencamp, who is owned by the same partnership as Getaway
Car, is a twice-raced maiden. The son of Constitution and Bayern mare American
Model was second in his sprint debut Oct. 27 before finishing fourth three
weeks later going a mile, defeated by Futurity entrants Journalism and Rank. He
has earned $14,040.
From post 2, Mellencamp will race with Kazushi Kimura.
Journalism stretched out successfully in his second career
outing for Bridlewood Farm, breeder Don Alberto Stable and trainer Michael
McCarthy, graduating by 2 1/2 lengths Nov. 17 at Del Mar.
A son of Curlin and Uncle Mo mare Mopotism, Journalism is
1-for-2 and has banked $38,880. He will be ridden by Umberto Rispoli from post 5.
Rank, runner-up to Journalism as the 8-5 favorite, will try
for the sixth time to earn his diploma.
Trained by Doug O’Neill for Calumet Farm, the son of Honor
A.P. and Touch Gold mare Fabulous Babe has earned $41,600. He has been second
on three occasions and was sixth when 50-1 in the Del Mar Futurity in his only
previous race vs. winners.
Antonio Fresu will be aboard Rank, who drew post 4.
The Los Al Futurity is worth 10-5-3-2-1 points to the five
finishers. The new rule that limits Derby qualifying points for short fields
does not take effect until the championship-series races that are worth 50 and
100 points to the winners.
| Post | Silks | Horse / Sire | Rating | Trainer / Jockey | Last Start / Next Start | HRN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Gaming Game Winner |
7.36 | Entered | ||
|
Last Race Next Race |
||||||
| 2 |
|
Mellencamp Constitution |
0.00 | Entered | ||
|
Last Race Next Race |
||||||
| 3 |
|
Getaway Car Curlin |
6.96 | Entered | ||
|
Last Race Next Race |
||||||
| 4 |
|
Rank Honor A. P. |
0.00 | Entered | ||
|
Last Race Next Race |
||||||
| 5 |
|
Journalism Curlin |
5.87 | Entered | ||
|
Last Race Next Race |
||||||
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