Graded stakes-placed Wine Me Up and Stronghold will take on each other as well as four making their stakes debuts in the 1 1/16-mile, $200,000 Los Alamitos Futurity (G2) Dec. 16. Wine Me Up, a son of Vino Rosso , is one of three from the barn of Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, who has won the race a record 13 times.
Baffert first captured the race in 1997 with Real Quiet when it was run at Hollywood Park as the Hollywood Futurity. Longtime Baffert client Mike Pegram owned Real Quiet, who went on to collect two-thirds of the Triple Crown the following year. Pegram owns Wine Me Up with Karl Watson and Paul Weitman.
Those three owners have been involved with other Futurity winners trained by Baffert. Pegram raced 1999 winner Captain Steve, while Pegram, Watson, and Weitman owned 2009 Futurity winner Lookin At Lucky and 2017 winner McKinzie .
Wine Me Up, when ridden by Juan Hernandez, broke his maiden in his debut Sept. 2 at Del Mar. Hernandez switched to Baffert-trained Muth for their next two races when Muth and Wine Me Up finished 1-2 in the American Pharoah Stakes (G1) and then competed in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1). Muth ran second to Fierceness in the Breeders’ Cup, while Wine Me Up finished eighth, beaten more than 28 lengths. Hernandez is back aboard Wine Me Up for the Futurity, and they break from the outside in the field of six.
Baffert has also entered Wynstock and Coach Prime . In their most recent outings, they broke their maidens in mile races.
Dr. Ed Allred, owner of Los Alamitos, owns Wynstock with Jack Libeau, the track’s vice president. Wynstock scored by 7 1/2 lengths under jockey Kyle Frey at Santa Anita Park Oct. 15. Frey returns on the New York-bred son of Solomini from post 2.
Zedan Racing Stable owns Coach Prime, a son of Quality Road , who Donato Lanni purchased as agent for $1.7 million at the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling sale. Coach Prime broke his maiden Nov. 10 at Del Mar by 7 1/4 lengths with Flavien Prat, who will ride again from post 5.
Taking on the Baffert Runners
Stronghold, trained by Phil D’Amato, is coming off a second in the Nov. 19 Bob Hope Stakes (G3) at Del Mar to Nysos , a well-regarded Baffert trainee. Prior to that, Stronghold, a son of Ghostzapper , broke his maiden at Churchill Downs in his second start. Antonio Fresu rode Stronghold for the first time in the Bob Hope and will again pilot him from post 3.
Tim Yakteen, who won the 2022 Los Alamitos Futurity with Practical Move , has Moonlit Sonata in this year’s race. The son of Malibu Moon will be making his second start, having triumphed in a Nov. 25 maiden race at 6 1/2 furlongs by 2 1/2 lengths. Geovanni Franco rides from the rail.
Doug O’Neill trained Slow Down Andy to take the 2021 Los Alamitos Futurity and will saddle Ace of Clubs this year. A son of Mor Spirit , Ace of Clubs won back-to-back dirt races in August at Del Mar and then ran unplaced in two turf stakes. Edwin Maldonado rides from post 4.
The Los Alamitos Futurity is a qualifying points race on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, potentially distributing points on a 10-5-3-2-1 basis to its top five finishers. Baffert trainees are ineligible for points owing to Churchill Downs Inc.’s ongoing ban of the trainer.
Entries: Los Alamitos Futurity (G2)
LOS ALAMITOS RACE COURSE, Saturday, December 16, 2023, Race 9
- Grade II
- 1 1/16m
- Dirt
- $200,000
- 2 yo
- 4:30 PM (local)
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