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Munnings Colt Oh ‘Zo’ Good at Oaklawn

Sent off the 39-10 second choice behind even-money Barossa (Into Mischief), Barry and Joni Butzow's Zozos (Munnings) sat a tracking trip and shot clear from the market leader to become yet another 'TDN Rising Star' Friday at Oaklawn Park.

Making his first start for Rodolphe Brisset, having previously been trained by Bob Baffert, Barossa–a latest distant third in the GII Los Alamitos Futurity–showed the most early interest, but Florent Geroux aboard Zozos would not allow that rival to steal away on an easy lead. Held right at Barossa's flank, Zozos was switched off nicely through a half in :48.92 and gained inches on the front-runner without being asked on the turn. Asked to win his race at the quarter pole, Zozos displayed a dazzling turn of foot to blow the race wide open, covering his final 2 1/2 furlongs in a very sharp :30.15 seconds, with a final sixteenth of a mile in an excellent :6.06 to score decisively and with apparently something in reserve.

Zozos was having his first start around two turns Friday and was shipping in from New Orleans, where he posted a half-length victory in a six-furlong Fair Grounds maiden Jan. 23. Zozos is the ninth 'Rising Star' for Munnings, who has also been represented this season by 'Rising Star' Shahama, last seen easily taking the Listed UAE 1000 Guineas at Meydan in late January.

The Butzows acquired the dam of Zozos for $57,000 at the 2011 Keeneland September and raced her to nine victories and eight minor placings from 32 starts for earnings north of $233,000. Papa Forest is due to another Coolmore stallion, Classic Empire, for 2022.

8th-Oaklawn, $100,000, Alw (NW1$X), Opt. Clm ($100,000), 2-11, 3yo, 1 1/16m, 1:44.40, ft, 10 1/4 lengths.
ZOZOS, c, 3, by Munnings
1st Dam: Papa's Forest, by Forestry
2nd Dam: Dixie Sue, by Dixieland Band
3rd Dam: Barbara Sue, by Big Spruce
Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $91,200. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
O/B-Barry & Joni Butzow (KY); T-Brad H Cox.

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Slow Down Andy Takes Los Alamitos Futurity For Reddam, O’Neil

Sporting the same colors that his sire Nyquist won the 2016 Kentucky Derby in, Slow Down Andy ran greenly through the stretch in the Los Alamitos Futurity but was able to straighten out and take the Grade 2 stakes by a length over the favored Messier.

In a short field of five, Slow Down Andy broke from the outside, settling in behind the front three of Olympic Legend, Durante, and Messier down the Los Alamitos straight and around the first turn. Through fractions of :22.79, :46.62, and 1:10.83, Olympic Legend maintained a half-length lead, with Messier pulling even with him as they approached the far turn. Mario Gutierrez on Slow Down Andy went four-wide into the turn, with Messier taking the lead as they hit the top of the stretch.

Into the Los Alamitos stretch, Messier on the rail had a short advantage over Slow Down Andy driving on the outside. The gap between them shortened as Slow Down Andy made his bid for the lead, passing Messier, but then the son of Nyquist lugged in and bumped the Baffert trainee, allowing Messier to battle back and take the lead briefly. Inside the last sixteenth, though, Gutierrez straightened Slow Down Andy out and dug in, passing Messier to take over for good, hitting the wire a length in front. Barossa, Durante, and Olympic Legend rounded out the order of finish.

The final time for the 1 1/16 miles was 1:42.35. Find this race's chart here.

Slow Down Andy paid $12.40 and $3.40. Messier paid $2.10. The field of five meant no show wagering for the G2 Los Alamitos Futurity.

“He relaxed perfectly early. When I saw the opening going to the turn I sent him through and he responded. I think he was just playing around in the stretch. When (runner-up) Messier got back in front of him, he regained his focus and showed his heart,'' jockey Mario Gutierrez said after the race.

“If it was up to me we would have run in the California bred race ($100,000 King Glorious) tomorrow. It was strictly (owner-breeder) Paul (Reddam) wanting to take a chance and having faith in Slow Down Andy and thank God he did. We figured our other horse (Durante) would show speed and being in (post 5) we hoped (jockey) Mario (Gutierrez) would get good position and ride his race. Down the stretch, it looked like we had it and then we didn't and then we did, so it was very exciting,” trained Doug O'Neill said after the race. “He doesn't really remind me of Nyquist. This horse has a lot of different gears and Nyquist was just a beast, so precocious. This horse is pretty calm and more mentally versatile at this stage than Nyquist ever was.''

The G2 Los Alamitos Futurity is part of the Road to the 2022 Kentucky Derby. With his win, Slow Down Andy earns 10 points toward a spot in the starting gate for next year's Derby. Messier earns four points, Barossa gets two, and fourth-place Durante earns one.

Bred in California by owner Reddam Racing, Slow Down Andy is out of the Square Eddie mare Edwina E. With his win in the G2 Los Alamitos Futurity, the 2-year-old colt has two wins in three starts for career earnings of $249,850.

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Messier Takes Next Step at Los Al

'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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Baffert To Saddle Messier, Barossa In Search Of Eighth Straight Win In Los Alamitos Futurity

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert will send out Messier and Barossa as he seeks his eighth consecutive victory in the Grade 2, $300,000 Los Alamitos Futurity Saturday.

The contest at 1 1/16 miles for 2-year-olds is the ninth of 10 races on the next-to-last day of the Winter Thoroughbred meet at Los Alamitos. Post time Saturday is 12 Noon. Scheduled post time for the Futurity is 3:58 p.m.

Baffert, who has won each of the Los Alamitos Futurities offered at Los Alamitos since daytime Thoroughbred racing returned in 2014, trains Messier for a partnership that includes Golconda Stable, Madaket Stables LLC, SF Racing LLC, Siena Farm LLC, Starlight Racing, Waves Edge Capital, Catherine Donovan, Robert Masterson and Jay Schoenfarber.

A son of Empire Maker and the Smart Strike mare Cherokee Past has won two of three and earned $105,600. After finishing second as the odds-on favorite in his debut June 27 at Los Alamitos, the Canadian bred has gone back-to-back, prevailing by a combined 10 lengths. In his most recent appearance, Messier won the Grade 3 Bob Hope by three lengths Nov. 14.

An Into Mischief colt out of the Flower Alley mare Bouquet Booth, Barossa, who has the same ownership group as Messier, finished ninth of 11 in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Nov. 5.

He's won once in four starts and earned $69,200. He broke his maiden at eight furlongs two starts back at Santa Anita.

Trainer Doug O'Neill, who was second in the 2020 Futurity with The Great One, will be represented by Durante and Slow Down Andy.

A son of Distorted Humor and the Pioneerof the Nile mare Seahawk Girl, Durante graduated as the 1-2 favorite in his most recent start at one mile Nov. 14. He's earned $54,700 in three outings for Roadrunner Racing and William Strauss.

A California bred son of Nyquist and the Square Eddie mare Edwina E, Slow Down Andy is 1-for-2 for owner-breeder J. Paul Reddam's Reddam Racing LLC. The chestnut colt won by nearly five lengths in his debut Oct. 9, then was second as the 11-10 favorite in the Golden State Juvenile four weeks later. He's banked $69,850.

Completing the field is Olympic Legend, a Street Boss colt out of the Mingun mare Brilliant Future.

Owned by breeders Lawrence Opas and Frank Sinatra and trained by Luis Mendez, Olympic Legend is the only member of the field with a win at Los Alamitos. He upset a field that included Messier when nearly 11-1 June 27. He's been idle since finishing a distant third in the Capote Stakes locally Sept. 18.

Olympic Legend is 1-for-4 with earnings of $38,500.

From inside out, the field for the Los Alamitos Futurity: Olympic Legend, Jose Valdivia, Jr. rides, 120 pounds; Durante, Umberto Rispoli, 120; Messier, Flavien Prat, 120; Barossa, Juan Hernandez, 120 and Slow Down Andy, Mario Gutierrez, 120.

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