Trip Notes for December 19, 2020: Mr. Prospector and Los Alamitos Futurity

Dec. 19

Gulfstream
Mr. Prospector (race 10)

COMMENT: The only prior time Sleepy Eyes Todd ran 7 furlongs was in his last start when he rallied from far back to win a stakes at Keeneland Nov. 7. That win was flattered significantly as the horse he easily beat back into second, True Timber, came back to romp in the Grade 1 Cigar Mile at Aqueduct earlier this month. Sleepy Eyes Todd validated his effectiveness at this distance as he proved a game winner over a strong field. The son of Paddy O’Prado sat midpack early as longshot Wind of Change shot out to a clear lead while setting a strong pace. Sleepy Eyes Todd crept closer to be third into the far turn, pounced on the tiring Wind of Change into the lane, got the better of him inside the eighth pole, and kept favorite Firenze Fire at bay. This may have earned him a shot at the 1 1/8-mile Pegasus World Cup here Jan. 23. Firenze Fire, entered here after scratching out of the Cigar Mile due to a sloppy track, bided his time early toward the outside, advanced nicely while wide on the far turn, continued wide into the lane, loomed a big threat outside the eventual winner in the stretch, but couldn’t quite get to him. Mind Control, another who skipped the Cigar Mile due to track condition, broke well from his far outside post to sit fourth, not far behind the eventual winner. He was a few lanes off the rail turning for home, pitched wider still into the lane, loomed a big threat outside the top two by the eighth pole, but couldn’t sustain his run while staying on decently to get third. Haikal, making his first start since finishing fifth in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Mile here Feb. 29, was slow into stride and was well back to the far turn. He came out into the lane and made some headway but was never a threat. Diamond Oops, the defending champ who last ran sixth in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Sprint, sat midpack while a few lanes off the rail and was basically one-paced throughout.

Los Alamitos
Los Alamitos Futurity (race 4)

COMMENT: It took some doing, but Spielberg gave trainer Bob Baffert’s his seventh straight win and 13th overall in this race. Coming off a fading fourth in the Grade 3 Bob Hope at Del Mar Nov. 15, Spielberg sat a few lengths of pacesetting longshot The Great One, crept closer turning for home, chased that rival through the lane and just got his nose in front in the final jump. Nice as this was, there’s obviously still a ways to go to prove he belongs in the conversation with the top juveniles. The Great One, a maiden facing winners, was beaten 13 lengths by Spielberg on dirt at Del Mar Nov. 1 and then was fourth in a turf route there Nov. 29. He shot out of the gate to go right to the lead as the highest-priced horse in the race at 33-1. The Great One had a clear lead turning for home, looked poised to go on to the big upset as Spielberg cut into his margin, and just got nipped. Petruchio, a maiden winner on turf at Del Mar Oct. 31, was slow from the gate to be last early, started to advance turning for home, pitched out into the lane, finished with good energy while wide, but was never a danger to the top two. Red Flag, the heavy favorite off a romping win in the Bob Hope, stalked the early pace while saving ground, crept closer heading to the far turn, angled out turning for home as if ready to make a run, but the run never came. This was his first route and maybe he doesn’t want to go this far, at least at this stage of the game.