Once again, the Los Alamitos Derby worthy of attention

The first six editions of the Los Alamitos Derby were unusually influential for early-summer graded stakes with small fields.

The Los Alamitos Derby – a Grade 2 for its first three runnings and a Grade 3 for its last three – earned instant relevance in 2014 when Shared Belief won his first start on dirt, followed by four dirt Grade 1 wins. Accelerate scored his first graded stakes win in the fall 2016 Los Alamitos Derby, followed by five Grade 1 wins, including the Breeders’ Cup Classic two years later. West Coast won the 2017 Los Al Derby and the Grade 1 Travers next out.

So, yes, despite an average field size of just 6.0, the Los Alamitos Derby influence cannot be overstated, this year more than ever, because late bloomers and comebackers still have a chance to make the Kentucky Derby on Sept. 5 at Churchill Downs.

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Five were entered in the 1 1/8-mile Los Alamitos Derby, including impressive debut winner Uncle Chuck, made the 6-5 favorite by track linemaker Ed Burgart. Thousand Words is 9-5, Anneau d’Or 3-1. Great Power and Cosmo also were entered in the Los Alamitos Derby, a Grade 3, $150,000 race that offers 34 Kentucky Derby qualifying points, 20 to the winner.

The Los Alamitos Derby is race 6 on Saturday. Filly-mare sprinters led by Bellafina race 6 1/2 furlongs Saturday at Los Alamitos in the Grade 2 Great Lady M., race 8.

The Los Alamitos Derby goes through Bob Baffert trainees Thousand Words and Uncle Chuck. Thousand Words defeated Anneau d’Or in the Grade 2 Los Alamitos Futurity late last year, followed by a workmanlike Grade 3 victory in February. But his form declined, and Thousand Words completely misfired after a bad start in an April stakes at Oaklawn.

“Mentally, he just wasn’t with it,” Baffert said. “I just backed off of him, freshened him up, changed his routine a little bit.”

Thousand Words has trained exceptionally well for his comeback, working in company and without the blinkers he wore previously.

“I took the blinkers off, he’s not getting hot, and he’s behaving himself,” Baffert said. “I love the way he’s been working.”

Flavien Prat rides Thousand Words, Luis Saez fills in for Mike Smith on Uncle Chuck. Smith is at Belmont Park on Saturday to ride McKinzie in the Met Mile.

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Uncle Chuck made his debut June 12 at one mile. He broke slowly, quickly recovered to make the lead inside, set a fast pace, and widened to win by seven lengths with a 95 Beyer despite jumping tire tracks in deep stretch.

“He’s lightly raced, but he’s got that raw talent,” Baffert said. “He’s still growing. He’s immature, but he has a lot of brilliance.”

Uncle Chuck will be forwardly placed along with Anneau d’Or, runner-up in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and Los Al Futurity. He finished fourth and fifth in his first two starts of 2020, but signaled improving form last out finishing fourth in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby. Victor Espinoza rode Anneau d’Or in the Santa Anita Derby and rides him again Saturday.

“He certainly had a lot cleaner break and was a bit more forwardly placed,” trainer Blaine Wright said, referring to Anneau d’Or’s race in the Santa Anita Derby. “I was happy with the race. Victor put him in the race. That’s all we can really ask.”

Anneau d’Or shipped Wednesday from Golden Gate Fields to Los Alamitos.