Los Alamitos Futurity, Starlet attract division heavyweights

Dec 05, 2019 Vance Hanson/Brisnet.com

Small fields will contest the $200,000 Los Alamitos Futurity (G2), the penultimate 2020 Road to the Kentucky Derby prep of 2019, and the $300,000 Starlet (G1), the final 2020 Road to the Kentucky Oaks prep of the year, on Saturday.

Trainer Bob Baffert, who's won the Futurity the last five years and 11 times altogether, sends out Bob Hope (G3) winner High Velocity and the promising maiden winner Thousand Words. High Velocity sheds blinkers yet could maintain a tactical advantage as the leading pace factor in the 1 1/16-mile test after leading throughout in the seven-furlong Bob Hope. Thousand Words, meanwhile, adds blinkers after winning at first asking by a half-length at Santa Anita going 6 1/2 furlongs.

Anneau d'Or, beaten a head by Storm the Court in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) after a thrilling stretch duel, looks to prove that 28-1 exacta crash was no fluke for Golden Gate-based trainer Blaine Wright. Third in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile was Wrecking Crew, who also placed in the Del Mar Futurity (G1) and Best Pal (G2).

Donna Veloce, a tough-beat second in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) by a head to British Idiom as the favorite, is the one to beat in a field of five for the 1 1/16-mile Starlet. Her main challenger is the Baffert-trained Bast, who captured the Del Mar Debutante (G1) and Chandelier (G1) prior to a third in the Juvenile Fillies, 1 3/4 lengths behind Donna Veloce. Chandelier third K P Dreamin could fare better after failing to get involved in the Juvenile Fillies.

All four of the Futurity entrants will earn Road to the Kentucky Derby qualifying points, which will be distributed on a 10-4-2-1 basis according to the order of finish. The top four in the Starlet will earn Oaks qualifying points of 10-4-2-1 as well.

The Los Alamitos Futurity and Starlet can be watched and wagered on at TwinSpires.com.