'TDN Rising Star' Messier (Empire Maker) will look to take his talent around two turns as a prohibitive favorite in Saturday's GII Los Alamitos Futurity. A $470,000 FTKSEL buy by the powerful ownership conglomerate nicknamed The Avengers, the bay settled for second at 1-2 in his local unveiling July 27. He resurfaced at Santa Anita Oct. 22 after a minor foot issue, and blew away his competition by 6 1/2 lengths. The son of MSW router Checkered Past (Smart Strike) made similarly short work of Del Mar's GIII Bob Hope S. over seven panels Nov. 14, and trainer Bob Baffert now puts the blinkers back on that he took off for that start. The Avengers will also be represented by Barossa (Into Mischief), who graduated third out over a mile at Santa Anita Oct. 15 before wheeling back quickly to finish ninth behind stablemate Corniche (Quality Road) in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Nov. 5. Baffert has won each of the seven runnings of this race since it was moved to Los Al and owns 13 victories in it overall.
Trainer Doug O'Neill has two chances at his first Futurity win. Durante (Distorted Humor) ran Barossa to a half-length two back, before earning his diploma Nov. 14. Slow Down Andy (Nyquist) was a sharp debut winner sprinting against fellow Cal-breds Oct. 9, and was a close second as the chalk in the Golden State Juvenile S. on Breeders' Cup weekend Nov. 5.
Longshot Olympic Legend (Street Boss) rounds out the field of five coming off a distant third in the restricted Capote S. here Sept. 18.
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