The final Saturday card of this Los Alamitos meeting is highlighted by the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Futurity, scheduled as the eighth race on a nine-race card. I’ll play two doubles on the day – one early, one late.
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DRF Past Performances
Trainer Tim Shea saddles R. Earl's Miracle (#1, ML 15-1) and Prayingandsinging (#9, ML 9-2) in Thursday's sixth race at Penn National, a six-furlong maiden claiming race. Since Jan. 1, 2014, Shea is winning at a 29 percent clip in maiden claimers, for a return on investment of $6.36.
Town Tart (#2, 6-1) returns in Thursday's second race at Aqueduct, a six-furlong optional claimer on the inner track. It will be her first start since finishing first by 8 3/4 lengths in a maiden race Oct. 29 at Belmont Park. The second-, third-, fourth-, and six-place finishers from that race came back to win their next starts.
WIZARDLY
Trainer: Steve Asmussen
Last race: Dec. 11, 5th
Finish: 4th by 3/4
Beyer: 76
Leapt at the start to spot the field several lengths and made up a lot of ground to finish a close fourth in a $50,000 restricted claimer at one mile; stretch runner could do with a bit more distance.
Saturday, December 12th
Gulfstream Park - Rampart (race 3)
COMMENT: Cali Star may indeed be a new filly, as after a string of modest outings, she blasted optional-claiming rivals here Nov. 18, was claimed by trainer Marty Wolfson for $62,500, stepped up in class for this, and validated the claim and the class move with another easy win. As the 9-5 favorite, she bided her time early as Pink Poppy set a modest pace.
The death of Shared Belief two weeks ago and the retirement of Tonalist last week were unexpected. And since Shared Belief was a five-time Grade 1 stakes-winning champion who lost but twice in his career and Tonalist was a winner of highly prestigious Grade 1 events at such varied distances as one mile, 1 1/4 miles, and 1 1/2 miles, it goes without saying that they will be sorely missed in next year’s older dirt male division.
Trainer Jimmy Jerkens saddles Front (#2, ML 10-1) in Saturday's third race at Aqueduct, a one-mile-70-yard claiming race on the inner track. Since Jan., 1, 2014, Jerkens is winning at a 33 percent clip when saddling a horse switching from turf to dirt, for a return on investment of $5.08.
Race 3 is for low-level maiden claimers sprinting on dirt. While horses like Flying K C (#3) and Take a Bow (#4) are logical as the shortest prices on the morning line, I want to try to wake up One More Song (#6) in this spot. One More Song never has raced on dirt, and she has been beaten a combined 35 lengths in two starts since returning from an extended layoff in October, but this horse has flashed some ability in the past.