Baffert has top two in five-horse Los Alamitos Derby
A day later than scheduled, Sunday’s Grade 3 Los Alamitos Derby at 1 1/8 miles will be run with story lines similar to past years.
Trainer Bob Baffert has two leading contenders with Classier and Defunded in a race he has won the last four years, and five times since Los Alamitos resumed daytime Thoroughbred racing in 2014.
The mere presence of the $150,000 Los Alamitos Derby on Sunday’s program is a slight surprise. The race drew only eight nominations and had a field of four when entries were initially taken on Wednesday for Saturday’s program. The race was postponed a day and a field of five was entered on Thursday.
The race has struggled to gain runners in recent years. There were seven starters in 2017, five in 2018, and four the last two years.
Baffert won the Los Alamitos Derby in 2017 with West Coast, the champion 3-year-old male that year, and in 2019 with Game Winner, the 2018 champion 2-year-old male.
Sunday’s field of Back Ring Luck, Classier, Defunded, Ingest, and It’s My House is less accomplished.
Defunded and Classier were second and third in the Grade 3 Affirmed Stakes for 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita on June 13. The Affirmed was Classier’s first start since an eighth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Keeneland last November. Defunded was fourth earlier this year in the Santa Anita Derby and Pat Day Mile at Churchill Downs.
It’s My House, trained by Bob Hess Jr., was eased in the $300,000 Texas Derby at Lone Star Park on May 31, but has since worked twice at Santa Anita. In March, It’s My House won the $50,000 Turf Paradise Derby at 1 1/16 miles in Phoenix.
Back Ring Luck is winless in three starts since joining trainer John Sadler’s stable in the spring. Back Ring Luck won an allowance/optional claimer at 1 1/16 miles at Oaklawn Park on March 5, a race in which he was eligible to be claimed for $62,500.
Ingest was fourth, beaten three-quarters of a length, in the $152,000 Snow Chief Stakes for statebreds at 1 1/8 miles on turf at Santa Anita on June 19, the gelding’s best result in two career stakes appearances.
The small field influenced owners Grant Alvernaz and Steve Ribiero and trainer Doug O’Neill to try Ingest in his first stakes on dirt.
“We said, for a Grade 3 and $150,000, let’s compete,” O’Neill said. “He’s trained well on the dirt. His best form is on the grass.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised if he got a big chunk. The smaller field and a good purse makes it tempting.”