Kentucky Derby 2023 trail: Los Al Futurity, Springboard Mile

Two Kentucky Derby preps are on Saturday’s pre-Christmas racing menu, albeit that both come with a catch.

The Grade 2, $200,000 Los Alamitos Futurity runs at 4:51 p.m. EST, followed hours later by the $400,000 Remington Springboard Mile Stakes at 11:19 p.m. Both races offer Kentucky Derby points to the first five finishers on a 10-4-3-2-1 scale.

However, only five 2-year-olds between the two races are eligible for those points.

Three of the five Los Al Futurity runners are trained by Bob Baffert, including favorite Arabian Lion (4-5). That trio is ineligible to gain Derby points while trained by Baffert due to his two-year Churchill Downs suspension.

As for the Springboard Mile, only runners who do not compete while using the medication Lasix are eligible for Derby points. Favorite Echo Again (9-5) is one of three in the race who are not utilizing Lasix along with Campfire Creed (5-1) and Gunflash (15-1).

Here is a closer look at both events.

4:51 p.m. – $200,000 Los Alamitos Futurity (G2), 1 1/16 miles, Los Alamitos, FanDuel TV

Arabian Lion debuted a winner in October at Santa Anita, then returned on the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile undercard Nov. 4 at Keeneland. As an odds-on favorite, he was second by 3/4 of a length to Giant Mischief, 17 1/2 lengths ahead of Old Alliance in third.

Zedan Racing Stables campaigns Arabian Lion, a $600,000 auction purchase in April. Jockey John Velazquez will pilot the Justify colt.

Baffert also trains Carmel Road (2-1), a Del Mar maiden winner whose last start also came at Keeneland. He finished 13th of 14 on Oct. 8 in the Breeders’ Futurity (G1) and was eased in the stretch.

The third of Baffert’s trio is Fort Bragg (4-1), a $700,000 auction purchase who broke his maiden out Nov. 4 at Santa Anita.

The shorter price among the two non-Baffert runners is Practical Move (8-1) for trainer Tim Yakteen. He crossed third Nov. 20 at Del Mar in the Bob Hope Stakes (G3).

No participant in this race has won the following year’s Kentucky Derby since the former Hollywood Futurity moved to Los Alamitos in the last decade. The only runner to win both races was Real Quiet in 1997 and 1998 for Baffert.

Here is a look at the field for the 2022 Los Alamitos Futurity (trainer and jockey in parentheses) with morning-line odds:

1. Tall Boy (Leandro Mora, Umberto Rispoli), 20-1

2. Carmel Road (Bob Baffert, Juan Hernandez), 2-1

3. Fort Bragg (Bob Baffert, Flavien Prat), 4-1

4. Practical Move (Tim Yakteen, Ramon Vazquez), 8-1

5. Arabian Lion (Bob Baffert, John Velazquez), 4-5

TimeformUS pace projections show favorite Arabian Lion going out to the lead under Velazquez.

11:19 p.m. – $400,000 Remington Springboard Mile Stakes, one mile, Remington Park, FanDuel TV

Echo Again returns Saturday exactly three months after a disappointing outcome in his first Kentucky Derby trail race. After drawing off by 6 3/4 lengths at Saratoga in his August debut, he weakened to seventh Sept. 17 in Churchill Downs’ Iroquois Stakes (G3).

Steve Asmussen trains Echo Again for owner-breeder Winchell Thoroughbreds. Jockey Ricardo Santana Jr. has the mount on the Gun Runner colt.

Giant Mischief (3-1) is off to a 2-for-2 start in his career for trainer Brad Cox. He out-dueled Los Al Futurity favorite Arabian Lion in his last start at Keeneland.

Danny Pish trains Campfire Creed, who leads the local hopes Saturday in Oklahoma. He won Remington Park’s Kip Deville Stakes in September, then was second Oct. 28 in the local Clever Trevor Stakes.

Wildatlanticstorm (6-1) won the Clever Trevor after finishing second in the Kip Deville. He is trained by Ray Ashford Jr.

No Kentucky Derby board-hitter has raced in the Springboard Mile. Long Range Toddy, winner of this event in 2018, finished 16th the following May in the Derby.

Here is a look at the field for the 2022 Springboard Mile (trainer and jockey in parentheses) with morning-line odds:

1. Echo Again (Steve Asmussen, Ricardo Santana Jr.), 9-5

2. Gunflash (Karl Broberg, Cristian Torres), 15-1

3. Campfire Creed (Danny Pish, Gerardo Mora), 5-1

4. Lil Sweet Thang (Donnie Von Hemel, Luis Quinonez), 12-1

5. Giant Mischief (Brad Cox, Florent Geroux), 3-1

6. American Outlaw (Todd Fincher, Jose Alvarez), 15-1

7. Ghost Hero (Jayde Gelner, Floyd Wethey Jr.), 15-1

8. Money Run (Steve Asmussen, Stewart Elliott), 12-1

9. Wildatlanticstorm (Ray Ashford Jr., Leandro Goncalves), 6-1

TimeformUS pace projections show favorite Echo Again taking a narrow early lead under Santana with American Outlaw close behind. Timeform US projects a fast early pace.

Visit Horse Racing Nation’s free past performances page for more information on the Springboard Mile and some of Saturday’s other stakes.

Kentucky Derby points top 10

1. Forte, 40

2. Curly Jack, 17

3. Blazing Sevens, 16

4. Instant Coffee, 12

5. Dubyuhnell, 10

6. Hayes Strike, 5

7. Red Route One, 5

8. Loggins, 4

9. Verifying, 4

10. Honed, 4

Kentucky Derby trail links

Giant Mischief got the best of Arabian Lion in a Keeneland allowance race that took place on the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile card. Reinier Macatangay thinks both those runners are worthy of singles in their respective Derby preps.

Matt Shifman provides Springboard Mile odds and analysis, giving Giant Mischief the edge off his Breeders’ Cup undercard win last out. Shifman also offers Los Al Futurity odds and analysis.

Bob Baffert’s Los Alamitos Futurity runners are ineligible for Kentucky Derby points due to Baffert’s Churchill Downs suspension. The Hall of Fame trainer filed a motion Thursday, requesting a reversal of the second year of his ban from racetracks owned by Churchill Downs Inc.

Arabian Knight, whose debut win at Keeneland made a big impression on Breeders’ Cup Saturday, opened Thursday as the 15-1 favorite at Circa Sports, which began its fourth year of writing Kentucky Derby futures in Las Vegas.

This week on the Ron Flatter Racing Pod, oddsmaker Paul Zilm discusses the Kentucky Derby 2023 futures odds he wrote this week for Circa Sports in Nevada. Outrun the Odds handicapper Sara Elbadwi provides tips for playing the Remington Springboard Mile.

HorseCenter hosts Brian Zipse and Shifman handicap and offer top picks for Saturday’s two Kentucky Derby points races.

Forte, the likely Eclipse Award winner as top 2-year-old male, is pointed to the Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) at Gulfstream Park on March 4 for his next start.

The New York Racing Association on Friday announced Aqueduct’s 2023 spring meet schedule. The $750,000 Wood Memorial (G2), which pays Derby points on a 100-40-30-20-10 scale, will run April 8.

Other Saturday stakes

Here is a look at other stakes races of interest taking place Saturday in the U.S. All post times are EST.

2:37 p.m. – $500,000 New York Stallion Series (Fifth Avenue Division), 2-year-old fillies, N.Y.-bred, seven furlongs, Aqueduct, FS1

Les Bon Temps (8-5) aims for a big payday and a second straight win after taking the local Maid of the Mist Stakes on Oct. 30. Trainer Mike Maker has tabbed jockey Jose Lezcano to ride the Laoban filly. Brad Cox trains Midtown Lights (7-2), who broke her maiden on third asking going six furlongs over this track Dec. 3. Forces Sweetheart (9-2) beat maiden claiming foes Nov. 5 at Gulfstream park in her debut for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr.

3:33 p.m. – $500,000 New York Stallion Series (Great White Way Division), 2-year-olds, N.Y.-bred, seven furlongs, Aqueduct, FS1

Vacation Dance (3-1) faces state-breds after back-to-back stakes starts in open company, including a local Atlantic Beach Stakes win Nov. 5. Jockey Kendrick Carmouche will be up on the son of The Lieutenant for trainer John Kimmel. Orlando Noda trains Jackson Heights (7-2), an Aqueduct stakes winner who was fifth Oct. 30 in the local Sleepy Hollow Stakes. Maiden Bustino Santino (5-1) finished third Nov. 12 at Aqueduct in his debut.

3:45 p.m. – $125,000 Prairie Bayou Stakes, 3-and-up, 1 1/16 miles, Turfway Park, FanDuel TV

In Love (4-1), the 2021 Keeneland Turf Mile (G1) hero, has not won in his six starts since that race and was third Nov. 13 at Churchill Downs in the River City Handicap. Jockey Gerardo Corrales will climb aboard the 6-year-old Agnes Gold gelding for trainer Paulo Lobo. Cox trains Price Talk (9-2), winner of the Remington Green Stakes on Sept. 25 at Remington Park. Grade 2 victor Field Pass (6-1) returns to trainer Mike Maker’s Kentucky base after a fourth-place effort Oct. 9 at Aqueduct in the Knickerbocker Stakes (G3).

5:14 p.m. – $200,000 Tinsel Stakes, 3-and-up, 1 1/8 miles, Oaklawn Park, FanDuel TV

Run Classic (8-5) looks for his first stakes win in this event that kicks off Oaklawn’s series of two-turn races for older runners, leading up to the $1 million Oaklawn Handicap (G2) on April 22. Bret Calhoun trains and Brian Hernandez Jr. will ride the 4-year-old Runhappy colt, a Churchill and Keeneland allowance winner who was runner-up at that level Nov. 13 at Churchill. Robertino Diodoro trains Bal Harbour (5-2), who dials back in distance after finishing third Nov. 4 at Keeneland in the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Stakes (G2) going 1 5/8 miles. 2022 Oaklawn Handicap hero Last Samurai (9-2) was fourth Nov. 25 at Churchill in the Clark Stakes (G1) for trainer D. Wayne Lukas.