Kentucky Derby prep: Baffert enters 3 in Los Alamitos Futurity
Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert entered the trio of Litmus Test, Provenance and Blacksmith as he seeks his ninth win in 12 years in the Grade 2, $200,000 Los Alamitos Futurity on Saturday.
The race at 1 1/16 miles for 2-year-olds is the eighth of nine races on the next-to-last day of the winter thoroughbred meet at Los Alamitos. Post time Saturday is 3:30 p.m. EST. Approximate post time for the Futurity is 7 p.m.
Click here for Los Alamitos entries and results.
Litmus Test will be making his first start since finishing fourth behind the undefeated Ted Noffey in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Del Mar on Oct. 31.
A son of Nyquist and the Malibu Moon mare Study Hard, Litmus Test was defeated by a little less than two lengths in the Juvenile. He has won once in four starts and earned $230,168.
Idle since defeating maidens going six furlongs as the prohibitive 2-5 favorite Sept. 27, Provenance, who has banked $45,600, will try two turns again for owner-breeder Spendthrift Farm.
An Into Mischief colt out of the Tapizar mare Monomoy Girl, Provenance was third as the 1-2 choice in his debut at one mile Aug. 23, a race taken by Intrepido, who returned to win the American Pharoah Stakes (G1) six weeks later.
Blacksmith is a two-start maiden who will be racing beyond 6 1/2 furlongs for the first time.
The son of Liam’s Map and the Curlin mare Sweet Achiever was runner-up behind Acknowledgemeplz when 1-1 in his bow Oct. 25, then disappointed as the 2-5 favorite a month later when splitting a field of 10 at Del Mar. Blacksmith has earned $13,200.
Trained by Doug O’Neill, Acknowledgemeplz will stretch out after leading throughout to break his maiden Oct. 25.
The Bucchero ridgling out of the Yes It’s True mare Starship Fantasy, who chased eventual Best Pal Stakes winner Desert Gate when second in his Santa Anita debut June 13, has banked $48,000.
Trained by John Sadler, Captivator will also be trying a route of ground for the first time after a blowout sprint win against maidens Nov. 8.
The Charlatan colt out of the Medaglia d’Oro mare Dashing Debby prevailed by 10 1/4 lengths as the 1-2 favorite 29 days after finishing second in his bow. He has earned $32,200.
Completing the field is American King, a maiden trained by Ruben Gomez.
A son of American Pharoah and the Bernardini mare Nella Vetrina, American King has finished sixth and fourth in his two starts, the latest when 82-1 going a mile on the Del Mar turf Oct. 30. He’s earned $4,100.