Bob Baffert has dominated the $200,000 Los Alamitos Futurity (G2), winning the first of 14 editions in 1997 with Real Quiet, who went on to capture the Kentucky Derby (G1) and Preakness (G1) the following season en route to being named champion three-year-old male. The Hall of Fame trainer will be well-represented again Saturday, entering three of the five contestants including probable odds-on favorite Gaming.
A smashing debut winner at Del Mar in mid-August, Gaming followed with a 1 3/4-length victory in the Del Mar Futurity (G1) four weeks later. The two-year-old son of freshman sire Game Winner came back two months later with a commendable second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) behind stablemate Citizen Bull, who had everything his own way dictating early fractions, and Gaming registered a 105 Brisnet Speed rating, easily the top number in the Los Alamitos Futurity field.
The 1 1/16-mile race will offer points on a 10-5-3-2-1 scale to the top five finishers as part of the Road to the Kentucky Derby challenge series, and Gaming will look to provide Flavien Prat, who was up on the dark bay colt for the Del Mar Futurity but opted for sixth-placer Chancer McPatrick in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, with a record-breaking 56th graded stakes victory in 2024. Prat is currently tied with Jerry Bailey for the single season mark.
Getaway Car will also represent Baffert. Winner of the Best Pal (G3) this summer, the Curlin colt sustained his first setback when fourth in the Del Mar Futurity. He came back with a runner-up in the American Pharoah (G2), and Getaway Car will look to improve upon a fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. Juan Hernandez retains the mount.
Mellencamp, a close second in his career debut but a troubled fourth most recently against maiden special weight rivals, completes the trio. Kazushi Kimura will guide the Constitution colt.
Journalism will jump to stakes competition following a convincing maiden tally the second time out. By Curlin, the bay colt improved for Michael McCarthy while stretching to two turns, and Umberto Rispoli rides the stalker. Rank enters winless from five starts but has finished second twice in a pair of two-turn attempts for Doug O’Neill, setting the pace before overhauled by Journalism in deep stretch last time.
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