CYPRESS, Calif. – Litmus Test was running in a predictable place as a stalker at the top of the stretch in Saturday’s Grade 2 Los Alamitos Futurity. The 3-5 favorite, Litmus Test had only stablemate Provenance in front of him, and a patient rider aboard in Juan Hernandez. For Hernandez, timing was vital. There was no reason to take the lead immediately with a 1,380-foot stretch to complete. “He was looking around at the quarter-pole,” Hernandez said. “I didn’t want to engage too early. He was running very comfortably.” Litmus Test led by a half-length with a furlong remaining, and quickly had the win secured. He won by 1 1/4 lengths. :: Access the most trusted data and information in horse racing! DRF Past Performances and Picks are available now. “I felt like I had a lot of horse,” Hernandez said. “When he switched leads, it was time to go. I asked him and responded.” Blacksmith (4-1) closed from fourth to finish second, 3 1/2 lengths in front of 6-1 Provenance, who set the pace. Litmus Test, who paid $3.20, Blacksmith and Provenance gave Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert a sweep of the top three positions in the $200,500 Los Alamitos Futurity. For Baffert, Litmus Test was a record 15th win in the Los Alamitos Futurity. Six of those wins were at Hollywood Park before 2013 when the race was named the Hollywood Futurity or CashCall Futurity. Baffert won the first seven runnings of the race at Los Alamitos from 2014 to 2020 and again in 2023. For Hernandez, Litmus Test was his first win in the Los Alamitos Futurity. In five previous mounts in the race, Hernandez had three second-place finishes. Litmus Test ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.38 and earned a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 96. Blacksmith, a maiden, passed Provenance in the final furlong to secure second in his stakes debut. Kazushi Kimura rode Blacksmith for the first time on Saturday. “It was a strong finish,” Kimura said. “You need to keep him busy. He ran a good race.” Provenance, a maiden race winner at six furlongs at Santa Anita in September, faded to lose by 4 3/4 lengths in his first start at 1 1/16 miles. Provenance was vanned to the stables after losing a shoe in the race, track stewards told Los Alamitos publicity. Provenance set early fractions of 23.26 seconds for the opening quarter-mile, and 46.67 for a half-mile, leading by a length over Litmus Test. Acknowledgemeplz and American King completed the order of finish. Captivator raced at the back of the field and was eased. He was walked to the stables. Litmus Test was favored in Saturday’s race on the strength of a fourth-place finish by 1 3/4 lengths in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Del Mar on Oct. 31 behind Ted Noffey, the nation’s leading 2-year-old. Litmus Test, by Nyquist, races for a partnership that includes SF Racing, Starlight Racing and Madaket Stable. Purchased for $875,000 at the 2024 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling sale, Litmus Test has won 2 of 5 starts and earned $350,188. Saturday’s win was his first since a maiden race at 5 1/2 furlongs at Del Mar in his first start in August. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.