Harty confident maiden Urlacher fits in Grade 1 Los Alamitos Futurity

CYPRESS, Calif. – Urlacher is expected to be the only maiden in Saturday’s $350,000 Los Alamitos Futurity, a status that is little more than a technicality to trainer Eoin Harty.

Urlacher, who must be supplemented to the Los Alamitos Futurity for $20,000, finished first in a maiden race at a mile at Del Mar on Nov. 15 but was disqualified and placed second for causing interference in the stretch.

“He knows what it’s like to win a race,” Harty said. “If he’d stayed up, people wouldn’t question why I’m running in this race.

“He’s a decent 2-year-old. He’s proven around two turns, and I think he’s improved off every race. We don’t get too many opportunities for Grade 1 races at this time of year.”

Urlacher, by Discreet Cat, is owned by Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin Racing and is part of a projected field of seven in the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Futurity, which is run at 1 1/16 miles.

The race is led by Mor Spirit, who was second in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes at Churchill Downs on Nov. 28, and Toews On Ice, who won the Grade 3 Bob Hope Stakes at seven furlongs at Del Mar on Nov. 14.

Other candidates are I’malreadythere, who was third in the Hope; Hollywood Don, a stakes winner on turf at Del Mar in September; Frank Conversation, who was third in the Grade 3 Cecil B. DeMille Stakes on turf at Del Mar on Nov. 29; and Sorryaboutnothing, who was promoted to first in the maiden race in which Urlacher was disqualified.

The Los Alamitos Futurity will not include Dr. Dorr, who finished fourth in the Bob Hope Stakes. Trainer Bob Baffert said on Wednesday that Dr. Dorr has been sidelined with sore shins and will be rested for 60 days.