With a second-place finish by 1 1/2 lengths to stablemate Citizen Bull in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Del Mar on Nov. 1, Gaming narrowly missed winning the division’s most prestigious race and a chance at the 2-year-old championship. His status among the 3-year-old prospects for 2025 may be brighter after Saturday’s Grade 2 Los Alamitos Futurity. Gaming is part of a field of five in the $200,000 Los Alamitos Futurity, and one of three runners trained by Bob Baffert, who also starts Getaway Car, who was fourth in the BC Juvenile, and the maiden Mellencamp. The well-regarded maiden race winner Journalism, trained by Michael McCarthy, and Rank, a maiden trained by Doug O’Neill, are the other runners in a disappointingly small field. Baffert has won eight of the 10 runnings of the Los Alamitos Futurity since the race was moved from Hollywood Park after that track’s closure in 2013. At 1 1/16 miles, the Los Alamitos Futurity provides a late-season stamina test for prospects that may be part of the 2025 Triple Crown. The winner of the Los Alamitos Futurity receives 10 qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby at Churchill on May 3. :: Subscribe to the DRF Post Time Email Newsletter: Get the news you need to play today's races!  Gaming, by Game Winner, races for Mike Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman, and will start for the fourth time on Saturday. Gaming won his first start in a maiden race at 6 1/2 furlongs at Del Mar on Aug. 11, and won his stakes debut in the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity at seven furlongs on Sept. 8. Flavien Prat rode Gaming in the Del Mar Futurity, but did not have the mount in the BC Juvenile. Gaming was ridden that day by Irad Ortiz Jr.; Prat is back aboard Saturday. In the Del Mar Futurity, Gaming chased a quick pace, and closed from fifth of seven to win by 1 3/4 lengths. The colt’s patient style left Prat impressed. “I’ve ridden him only once and he was very straightforward,” Prat said on Thursday. “The pace was hot and I let him settle in the back.” In the Los Alamitos Futurity, Gaming drew the inside post, which Prat said “is not ideal.” “It’s not the best draw, but he seems very handy,” Prat said. “I think he can do pretty much anything.” Prat is having a career-best year. He won a record 80th stakes of 2023 aboard Poster in the Grade 2 Remsen Stakes at Aqueduct on Dec. 7. Poster was Prat’s 55th graded stakes win, leaving him in a tie in that category with Jerry Bailey’s mark set in 2003. Prat can break Bailey’s mark on Gaming, who he said may be a colt to follow next year. “We’ll see how he develops, but he could be a nice horse in the future,” he said. Gaming is quick enough to lead, but more likely to follow Mellencamp, who was fourth behind Journalism in a one-mile maiden race at Del Mar on Nov. 17 after racing near the front early. Getaway Car will not be far from the front in his third start at 1 1/16 miles. Getaway Car was second to Citizen Bull in his debut at the distance in the Grade 1 American Pharoah Stakes at Santa Anita on Oct. 5. Getaway Car was beaten four lengths in the BC Juvenile after racing as close as third in the stretch. Juan Hernandez has been aboard Getaway Car for all five of his starts and will ride Saturday. Journalism, who was supplemented to Saturday’s race for $7,500, and Mellencamp will have their first starts in stakes in the Los Alamitos Futurity. Rank was sixth behind Gaming in the Del Mar Futurity and has since finished second in two one-mile maiden races, including a second to Journalism on Nov. 17. Journalism was third in a maiden race at six furlongs in his debut at Santa Anita on Oct. 27, and closed from fifth of 10 to win in an attractive manner by 2 1/2 lengths on Nov. 17. :: Bet the races with a $200 First Deposit Match + FREE All Access PPs! Join DRF Bets. “I shouldn’t say it was a surprise,” McCarthy said of the victory. “It was what he showed us in the morning.” Umberto Rispoli, who was aboard Journalism in his first start, has the mount in the Futurity. McCarthy expects Journalism to race as a closer. “We’d be looking for more or less the same type of thing – bounce out of there and find himself in a nice stalking position,” McCarthy said. Such a trip could put Journalism firmly in the national discussion this winter, provided he can beat an accomplished colt in Gaming. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.