Colorado Avalanche players rooting for Mackinnon

The Colorado Avalanche are bound for the Stanley Cup playoffs later this month, led by star forward Nathan MacKinnon.

The squad plays in Los Angeles on Saturday and Las Vegas on Monday. In between those games, the team has a rooting interest in the second race at Santa Anita on Sunday, for 2-year-old maidens.

Mackinnon, a colt by American Pharoah, will have his debut for Avalanche player and horse owner Erik Johnson, whose stable is ERJ Racing.

Mackinnon was purchased for $285,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Florida sale of 2-year-olds in training in March.

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“Hope he has as much speed as his namesake,” Johnson said in a text message on Friday morning.

Mackinnon is trained by Doug O’Neill, who said the colt was eager for activity when he arrived in Southern California earlier this spring.

“The horse had a good foundation,” O’Neill said. “When we got him, we were taking it easy and he wanted to do more.”

Mackinnon, who will be ridden by Umberto Rispoli, is part of a field of six that includes Bochombo and Finneus, who have shown fast workouts in recent weeks. Bochombo drew the outside post. Finneus, by Stay Thirsty, was listed as sold for $200,000 at the Fasig-Tipton California yearling sale at Los Alamitos last October, the most expensive horse of the auction.

O’Neill said Mackinnon could be near the front early, but not necessarily setting the pace.

“It’s a tough little race,” O’Neill said. “He’s fast, but he’s not super quick away from the gate. If we can sit behind a speed duel, we can be right there at the wire.”