Hot Baffert prospect needs to draw into maiden race

An oversubscribed maiden special weight for 2-year-olds is the leading race on Thursday’s opening day of the Los Alamitos winter meeting, but the most exciting prospect among the entries may be stuck in the barn.

Vision, a colt by Orb purchased for $500,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Florida sale of 2-year-olds in training earlier this year, is on the also-eligible list with no certainty of drawing into the field of 10. Trained by Bob Baffert, The unraced Vision is scheduled to be ridden by Mike Smith and is the Hall of Fame jockey’s only scheduled mount on the eight-race program, which begins at 1 p.m., Pacific.

The Los Alamitos winter meeting runs through Dec. 17 on a Thursday-through-Sunday basis. The Dec. 9 program is the highlight of the meeting with two Grade 1 races for 2-year-olds worth $300,000 – the Starlet Stakes for fillies and the Los Alamitos CashCall Futurity.

Thursday’s maiden race, the sixth race on the program, will be run at 5 1/2 furlongs. The main field of 10 runners has six first-time starters.

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Shanghai Billy and Soltero have recorded quick workouts for their first starts. Shanghai Billy, by Shanghai Bobby, is trained by Mike Harrington. The colt worked five furlongs from the gate in 59.20 seconds at Los Alamitos on Nov. 9, the fastest of 11 works at the distance.

Soltero, by Blame, worked six furlongs in 1:14.40 at Del Mar on Nov. 19 for trainer Phil D’Amato.

Of the four horses with racing experience, Jonny Be Bueno is the most accomplished. Trained by Doug O’Neill, Jonny Be Bueno was second in a maiden special weight race September at Los Alamitos, his most recent outing. Jonny Be Bueno will be fitted with blinkers for the first time on Thursday.

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Alternate Rhythm, trained by Jeff Mullins, is winless in three starts, but has worked well at Santa Anita in recent weeks. Alternate Rhythm worked five furlongs in 59 seconds on Nov. 21, the fastest of 33 works that morning.

Alternate Rhythm was sixth in a maiden race at a mile on turf at Santa Anita on Oct. 27. Previously, Alternate Rhythm was fifth and fourth in maiden races on dirt at Del Mar and Santa Anita.

Vision races for China Horse Club International. The colt has worked from the gate three times in the last month at Santa Anita, including five furlongs in 1:00.60 last Friday.