The Great One figures to skate in maiden race with repeat of stakes effort

On Nov. 6, Hot Rod Charlie finished second at 94-1 in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Keeneland, losing by three-quarters of a length to Essential Quality. On Dec. 19, The Great One finished second at 33-1 by a nose to Spielberg in the Grade 2 Los Alamitos Futurity.

Both are trained by Doug O’Neill, who is hopeful the longshots of the late autumn can become well-backed winners on the next two Saturdays at Santa Anita.

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This Saturday, The Great One starts in a tough maiden special weight for 3-year-olds at a mile, the second race at Santa Anita. Next Saturday, Hot Rod Charlie and stablemate Wipe the Slate, a maiden race winner Dec. 26, are scheduled to start in the Grade 3 Robert Lewis Stakes at 1 1/16 miles, a prep to the Grade 1 Runhappy Santa Anita Derby on April 3.

“There is nothing better than having some nice newly turned 3-year-olds,” O’Neill said.

O’Neill would know. He has won the Kentucky Derby twice, most recently in 2016 with Nyquist, the sire of The Great One, a colt owned by Erik Johnson, Train Wreck Al Racing Stable, Niall Brennan, Tom Fritz, and William Strauss.

The Great One led by two lengths in the stretch of the Los Alamitos Futurity at 1 1/16 miles and was caught at the wire. The race was by far his best result in four starts, preceded by a fourth in a maiden special weight race on turf Nov. 29 at Del Mar.

“We were over the moon,” O’Neill said of the Los Alamitos Futurity. “I was really happy with his race previously at Del Mar.

“The light bulb is starting to go off. We’re hoping he continues to move forward.”

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The Great One, who will be ridden by Abel Cedillo, is part of an intriguing field of five that includes the well-regarded first-time starter Fenway, and Affable, who was second to Wipe the Slate on Dec. 26.

Fenway, a colt by Into Mischief bought for $650,000 as a yearling, has worked well in recent weeks for trainer Bob Baffert. Fenway worked five furlongs in 59.20 seconds on Sunday, the fastest of 76 times at the distance.

Affable, trained by Mark Glatt, was beaten 3 1/4 lengths by Wipe the Slate as the even-money favorite. Saturday’s race is Affable’s first start around two turns.