Remington Springboard Mile, Los Alamitos Futurity next stops on Road to the Kentucky Derby

Dec 15, 2023 Vance Hanson/Brisnet.com

Two Road to the Kentucky Derby series preps will be contested this weekend, beginning with the $300,000 Remington Springboard Mile on Friday night followed by the $200,000 Los Alamitos Futurity (G2) on Saturday afternoon.

The Springboard Mile, which has a post time of 10:28 p.m. ET, attracted a field of nine. Trainer Steve Asmussen, who has won the race six times, saddles morning line favorite Otto the Conqueror, who exits a four-length allowance win at Churchill Downs, in which he defeated Honor Marie and Just Steel. Those rivals flattered the form late last month, respectively winning the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) and Ed Brown S. at Churchill.

Also invading from Kentucky are the Brad Cox-trained duo of Gettysburg Address and Fidget. Gettysburg Address won on debut at Ellis Park in August but weakened to fourth after setting the pace in the Street Sense (G3) most recently. Fidget enters off back-to-back victories at Horseshoe Indianapolis and is proven over the distance.

#6 Gettysburg Address gets the job done in R4 at Ellis Park under Martin Chuan for trainer @bradcoxracing! 🤩

🎥 #TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/98IOnZc11A

— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) August 6, 2023

Other logical contenders include the multiple stakes winner Glengarry, an Iowa-bred who stretches out beyond six furlongs for the first time, and Raging Torrent, who earned minor checks this fall in Grade 1 events in Southern California.

The Los Alamitos Futurity, contested over 1 1/16 miles, drew a field of six and is scheduled fro 7:28 p.m. ET. Half the field is trained by Bob Baffert, whose current suspension from racing at Churchill Downs will prevent any of them from accruing Kentucky Derby qualifying points from this race.

Baffert trainees Wine Me Up and Coach Prime figure to be the top two betting choices. Wine Me Up fared poorly last out in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1), but was a clear second in the American Pharoah (G1) two back and is eligible to rebound. Coach Prime, meanwhile, exits a 7 1/4-length maiden win at Del Mar in his first appearance on dirt.

Among those eligible to earn Derby points are Stronghold and Moonlit Sonata. Stronghold, who broke his maiden at Churchill going a mile in early October, stretches back out after finishing a distant second in the seven-furlong Bob Hope (G3) at Del Mar. Moonlit Sonata won on debut in a Del Mar sprint last month at odds of 33-1, but will be a vastly lower price here for trainer Tim Yakteen, who won the Futurity last year with Practical Move.

Derby qualifying points of 10-5-3-2-1 will be offered to the respective top five finishers in the Springboard Mile and Los Alamitos Futurity, provided they are eligible. Both races can be watched and wagered on at TwinSpires.com.