Trip Notes for December 8, 2018: Los Alamitos Futurity and Starlet

Dec. 8
Los Alamitos
CashCall Futurity (race 5)

COMMENT: Improbable was hammered at the windows as if he couldn’t lose, sent off at 1-9 to give trainer Bob Baffert his 11th win in this race. Well, not only were his backers correct, Mucho Gusto made it an all-Baffert exacta. But Improbable was the star and stamped himself a horse to watch on the 2019 Triple Crown trail. Unbeaten in his first two starts including a romping win in the Street Sense at Churchill on the first day of Breeders’ Cup races Nov. 2, the $200,000 son of City Zip broke alertly from the rail, got a nice trip stalking the pace as stablemate Mucho Gusto set a brisk pace under some pressure from Savagery, remained inside when Dueling was forced to the outside on the first turn by a lugging-out Savagery, moved to the outside under a snug hold, bided his time to the far turn, moved up easily to challenge Mucho Gusto and Savagery to their outside, had to fight a bit to get past a stubborn Mucho Gusto but got the better of him by midstretch, drawing off to win easily. He figures to next be seen at Santa Anita on his road to the Kentucky Derby. Mucho Gusto, a $625,000 son of Mucho Macho Man and like Improbable winner of his first two starts including the Grade 3 Bob Hope at Del Mar on Nov. 17, went right to the lead from his outside slot, took some pressure from Savagery, continued under pressure from Savagery to the far turn, fought back briefly when confronted by Improbable but couldn’t stay and finished a clear second. Extra Hope, a big maiden winner routing at Santa Anita on Oct. 21 before finding the seven furlongs of the Bob Hope a bit too sharp when fourth to Mucho Gusto, was wide on the first turn while toward the back, lost position between horses going to the far turn but got going again to get up for third, though he was no danger to the top two. Savagery, taking off blinkers for the first time after finishing a good second in the Bob Hope, moved up eagerly toward the inside to pressure the pace, came out on the first run pushing Dueling out very wide, continued to press Mucho Gusto but gave way in the lane. He was disqualified from fourth to fifth, behind Dueling, for his actions on the first turn.

Los Alamitos
Starlet (race 7)

COMMENT: The Bob Baffert express rolled on as an hour or so after finishing one-two in the Futurity his trainees finished one-three in this race, headed by Horse of the Year and Triple Crown winner American Pharaoh’s little sister Chasing Yesterday. A winner of three of four including two stakes in her last two starts, the daughter of Tapit was last early as the 3-2 favorite, steadily improved while staying quite wide as stablemate Mother Mother set the pace under pressure from longshot Sold It, remained wide as she continued to advance on the far turn to the top of the lane, and finally reeled in Mother Mother in the final sixteenth and just outfinished stubborn 30-1 shot Enaya Alrabb, both of whom were to her inside. This gives Baffert his fifth win in this race. Enaya Alrabb, a daughter of juvenile male champion Uncle Mo, faced winners for the first time after an impressive maiden win routing wearing blinkers for the first time at Santa Anita on Oct. 25. The filly stalked in third, made her run at Mother Mother into the lane between horses and only missed by a head while a neck to the good of Mother Mother to her inside. Mother Mother, the other Baffert filly and a $450,000 daughter of Pioneerof the Nile, coming off a win in the Rags to Riches at Churchill on Oct. 28, broke sharply inside, was able to make the top first time under the wire, took pressure from longshot Sold It while setting a decent pace along the rail, got the better of that foe turning for home while cutting the corner, remained on the fence as she battled on, keeping the top two at bay for a while, but then couldn’t quite finish them in the final half-furlong. Oxy Lady, supplemented after adding blinkers and romping in the Grade 3 Tempted at Aqueduct on Nov. 2, didn’t transfer that form west as the daughter of Grade 1 Preakness winner Oxbow sat back, was still last on the far turn, made some headway in the lane but was never a threat. Vibrance, third in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, was disappointing as she stalked in fourth just behind the early leaders while saving ground but came up empty when the real racing began. Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies runner-up Restless Rider also lost her subsequent start making one wonder whether these two ran one time too many or that the Juvenile Fillies was not that strong.