Grade 2, $200,500 Los Alamitos Futurity, 1 1/16 miles, Los Alamitos, Dec. 19, 2020 (10 Derby qualifying points for first, 4 for second, 2 for third, 1 for fourth) Winner: Spielberg, by Union Rags Trainer: Bob Baffert Jockey: Flavien Prat Owners: SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Golconda Stables, Siena Farm LLC, and Robert Masterson Beyer Speed Figure: 81 SPIELBERG became the 13th winner of this race for Baffert, who has won all seven runnings at Los Alamitos and another six at Hollywood Park before it closed in 2013. Of the previous 12, some, like Improbable, Lookin At Lucky, McKinzie, Point Given, and Real Quiet, went on to bigger and better, while others such as Liaison were more one-hit wonders. Just where Spielberg fits is yet to be determined, but to this point this good-looking, $1 million yearling buy has largely promised more than he has delivered. This was his sixth start, and the winning Beyer figure is in the range of what maidens or first-level allowance horses get. His career best is an 83, earned in a maiden win. This was a below-par field for this race. The runner-up was an 0-for-3 maiden whose previous best was a 68, earned on turf, and the third-place finisher owned one win – on turf – in four starts, with a career best of 70. RED FLAG, who pummeled Spielberg in the Bob Hope at Del Mar while earning an 81, regressed badly and was beaten nearly nine lengths. The overall impression of this race is below average. That said, some horses take a lot of racing to bring out their best, and perhaps that’s what it will take for Spielberg. He’s by a Belmont Stakes winner, so distance should never be a factor. But he will need to get a lot faster over the next few months. :: KENTUCKY DERBY 2021: Point standings, prep schedule, news, and more In this race, Spielberg broke alertly from his outside stall and went into the first turn in the three path, just behind and outside of THE GREAT ONE and WESTON. He stayed in that spot down the backstretch and around the far turn, lost ground to The Great One nearing the end of that turn, but kept plugging away through the long stretch under Prat’s encouragement and led for the one stride that mattered most. The Great One, who finished second, sped away from the gate to take the lead, went along at a decent clip, put away Weston early on the far turn while gaining separation from Spielberg, then just failed to last while losing a brutal head bob at 33-1. Pretty tough luck in recent weeks for his trainer, Doug O’Neill, who nearly shocked the world with 94-1 shot Hot Rod Charlie in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (https://www.drf.com/news/road-2021-kentucky-derby-breeders-cup-juvenile-analysis) six weeks ago. PETRUCHIO, who was third, trailed early while saving ground, inched closer down the backstretch, began a rally in the three path on the far turn, got carried out by Red Flag coming off the bend, then finished steadily while never threatening the top two. Red Flag, who was fourth, broke a step slow but got in gear quickly and followed the top three into the first turn while saving ground. He moved closer during the run down the backstretch but had to tap on the brakes heading into the far turn with no room to go. He got through inside the tiring Weston midway on the turn and then was able to swing out to the three path heading off the bend, but he failed to change leads, completely lost his punch, and bottomed out. This was his first try around two turns. He had a slight bit of trouble heading into the far turn, but not nearly enough to excuse what transpired after that incident. He was closer to the top two a furlong out than he was at the finish. Weston, who was fifth, bumped with POSITIVITY leaving the gate but was not impacted by that and set up a stalking position into the first turn outside of The Great One. He stayed in that spot down the backstretch and to the far turn, was asked aggressively to keep up three furlongs out but retreated without putting up much fight. His form has been in steady decline since winning his first two starts. Positivity, who finished last of six, stumbled leaving the gate and then bumped with Weston, raced in the three path in front of only Petruchio around the first turn, dropped back to last heading down the backstretch, was badly outrun on the far turn while drifting to the three or four path, and never got involved.