Monomoy Girl’s son Provenance entered in Los Alamitos Futurity

Dec 11, 2025 Kellie Reilly/Brisnet.com

Provenance is the first foal from two-time champion Monomoy Girl (Photo by Benoit Photos)

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert pursues a 15th victory in the $200,000 Los Alamitos Futurity (G2) on Saturday, with three chances in the small field of six.

Grade 1-placed Litmus Test is the most accomplished of his trio, but Provenance offers pedigree intrigue as the first foal from Kentucky Oaks (G1) champion Monomoy Girl.

A homebred for Spendthrift Farm, Provenance is bred for success at Churchill Downs on the first weekend in May. He’s by perennial leading sire Into Mischief, who is responsible for a record-tying three Kentucky Derby (G1) winners.

Monomoy Girl scored in the 2018 Kentucky Oaks, the first of seven career Grade 1 laurels, including two editions of the Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) (2018 and 2020). Twice honored with Eclipse Awards as the champion of her division, she retired with a stellar record of 14 wins and three seconds from 17 starts, along with earnings of more than $4.7 million.

Provenance has inspired high hopes, going off as the odds-on favorite in both of his starts. In his debut over a mile at Del Mar, he was third to Intrepido and Plutarch. Intrepido went on to upset the American Pharoah (G1), where Plutarch was a close third.

Next time out in a sprint maiden at Santa Anita, Provenance moved forward to post a front-running victory. The benefit of first-start experience was likely more important than the shorter distance.

Nevertheless, Provenance has yet to run as fast as Litmus Test, according to the Brisnet Speed ratings. Jockey Juan Hernandez is accordingly sticking with Litmus Test at Los Alamitos, and Kyle Frey inherits the mount on Provenance.

Litmus Test has been tested already on the Road to the Kentucky Derby. Third in the Breeders’ Futurity (G1) at Keeneland, he was most recently fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1). The $875,000 son of 2016 Derby champion Nyquist races for the high-profile consortium led by SF Racing, Starlight Racing, and Madaket Stables.

Blacksmith, a twice-raced maiden, hopes to improve on the stretch-out to 1 1/16 miles with new rider Kazushi Kimura. The $525,000 yearling purchase was a very encouraging runner-up as the favorite on debut to Acknowledgmeplz at Santa Anita. Bet down to 2-5 favoritism in his next try in a sprint at Del Mar, Blacksmith found himself farther behind early, and he made mild headway late to take fifth.

Campaigned by Qatari-based Wathnan Racing, an emerging force on the international scene, Blacksmith can make a case on pedigree. The Liam’s Map colt hails from the extended family of Belmont (G1)-winning champions Arcangelo (2023) and Rags to Riches (2007). A couple of Blacksmith’s nearer relatives did have distance limitations – his mother is a full sister to Grade 2-winning sprinter Cezanne.

The Doug O’Neill-trained Acknowledgemeplz is a bigger question mark at the trip, as a son of the sprinter Bucchero and a Yes It’s True mare. Yet it’s worth noting that his only loss came at the hands of the talented Desert Gate in their mutual debut at Santa Anita.

The main danger to the Baffert brigade could be Captivator, although he too faces a stamina test in his first attempt around two turns. Trained by John Sadler, the Hronis Racing colorbearer just crushed a six-furlong maiden by 10 lengths. He was tackling easier company in that race, given the conditions that restricted eligibility, but his fast time suggests he can hold his own versus better rivals.

From the first crop of past Baffert star Charlatan, Captivator is a three-quarter brother to the classy speedster Dawn the Destroyer, who was third in the 2019 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1). Both Dawn the Destroyer and Captivator are out of the same mare, Dashing Debby. Dawn the Destroyer is by Speightstown, the sire of Charlatan.

Rounding out the field is the maiden American King from the Ruben Gomez barn. A trailing sixth behind Provenance in his debut, the son of American Pharoah fared much better when fourth in a one-mile turf maiden. But he’ll need another leap forward to factor here.

The Los Alamitos Futurity is worth points on the 10-5-3-2-1 scale to the top five finishers. It’s set for 7 p.m. ET as Saturday’s eighth race at Los Alamitos, and you can watch and wager at TwinSpires.com.