Gimme Da Lute, Kentuckian highlight five-horse Los Alamitos Derby

Gimme Da Lute, Kentuckian highlight five-horse Los Alamitos
Derby

Kentuckian has posted a pair of runaway victories and is bred to handle Saturday’s added ground  (Benoit Photo) Gimme Da Lute (Midnight Lute) and Kentuckian (Tiznow) each registered triple-digit BRIS Speed ratings pocketing graded stakes tallies at Santa Anita last time out, Gimme Da Lute earning a 101 for the June 7 Affirmed (G3) and Kentuckian a 101 in the May 10 Laz Barrerra (G3), and the promising sophomores will square off in Saturday’s $350,000 Los Alamitos Derby (G2). The 1 1/8-mile event features only a handful or three-year-olds, but San Felipe (G2) and Affirmed runner-up Prospect Park (Tapit) adds further quality to the five-horse cast. Gimme Da Lute registered his first stakes tally in the restricted Echo Eddie in early April, rolling to a 5 1/4-length decision for Bob Baffert, and after a couple of placings versus open rivals in the Pat Day Mile (G3) and Chick Lang, the California-bred colt put it all together last time, earning his first graded tally by a half-length margin. Martin Garcia will be back aboard.

Kentuckian won his career debut by 11 lengths at Golden Gate Fields in early
March and after finishing third as the odds-on favorite in the San Pedro at
Santa Anita a month later, the $610,000 yearling purchase strode to an
impressive 6 1/4-length tally in the seven-furlong Laz Barrerra. The Jerry
Hollendorfer-trained gray colt will make his two-turn debut and return from a
55-day layoff with Mike Smith.

After a fourth in the Santa Anita Derby (G1), Prospect Park was being readied
for a Kentucky Derby (G1) bid before an illness derailed those plans. He was
redirected to the June 7 Affirmed, finishing second as the 3-5 choice, and the
dark bay colt is eligible to show more Saturday for Cliff Sise Jr. Tyler Baze
picks up the mount.

Runner-up in the Pat Day Mile two back, Pain and Misery (Bob and John)
returns to graded company after a wire-to-wire victory in the June 6 Charles
Taylor Derby at Albuquerque. Flavien Prat rides the likely front-runner.
Rounding out the field is Follow Me Crev (Quality Road), who was claimed for
$50,000 from a third-place effort last time and will make his stakes debut for
new trainer Vladimir Cerin.

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