Thousand Words fights back to win Los Alamitos Futurity

CYPRESS, Calif. - Thousand Words, a million-dollar yearling purchase in 2018, gave Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert a record 12th win in Saturday’s Grade 2 Los Alamitos Futurity and his sixth consecutive win in the late season test for 2-year-olds.

Ridden by Flavien Prat, Thousand Words ($5.40) stalked pacesetter High Velocity to the final furlong and repelled a threat from 6-5 favorite Anneau D’Or to win by a neck.

Thousand Words ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.19, extending his unbeaten streak to two races. He earned a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 91. Thousand Words won a maiden special weight race at 6 1/2 furlongs at Santa Anita on Oct. 26.

The victory was well-earned. Thousand Words was headed briefly by Anneau d’Oro in the final sixteenth before retaking the lead.

“He was waiting on horses,” Prat said. “It’s a good thing it’s a long stretch. When he saw that other horse, he ran him down.”

Anneau d’Or, a surprise second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita at 28-1 on Nov. 1, was third in a field of four for the first six furlongs of the Los Alamitos Futurity and had good position turning into the stretch.

“For a couple of strides, he was in front,” said jockey Juan Hernandez, who rode Anneau d’Oro. “When that other horse saw him, he came back. My horse was game. He tried all the way.”

High Velocity, the winner of the Grade 3 Bob Hope Stakes at seven furlongs at Del Mar on Nov. 16, was beaten five lengths after yielding the lead. High Velocity finished 37 lengths clear of Wrecking Crew, who was third in the BC Juvenile.

Thousand Words, a Florida-bred by Pioneerof the Nile, was fitted with blinkers for the first time in the $200,000 Los Alamitos Futurity. Owned by Albaugh Family Stables and Spendthrift Farm, Thousand Words has earned $151,000. Thousand Words was purchased at the 2018 Keeneland September yearling sale.

“It’s good to get a win like this with a colt like this,” Baffert said.

Baffert has won the Los Alamitos Futurity in the six years since the race was transferred from Hollywood Park after that track’s closure in 2013. The Los Alamitos Futurity was downgraded from a Grade 1 to a Grade 2 for this year’s race.

Baffert has used the race as a late-season stop for many of his top prospects for the following year’s Triple Crown build-up.

“This race is so important and hopefully it will be gets its Grade 1 back,” Baffert said in the winner’s circle.