California | Horse Racing Free Tips

Spielberg Up to Give Baffert Seven Straight Futuritys at Los Al

After 8 1/2 furlongs of Saturday’s GII Los Alamitos Futurity, it was a ‘Close Encounter’ with pacesetting outsider The Great One (Nyquist)–playing ‘Catch Me If You Can’–but $1-million Keeneland September yearling purchase Spielberg (Union Rags) managed to snatch victory from the ‘Jaws’ of defeat, as he was the recipient of the kindest of headbobs to give Bob Baffert his seventh consecutive victory in the event, now held at the Orange County oval.

Drawn widest in a field of six, the second betting choice attended the pace three wide outside of GII Best Pal S. hero Weston (Hit It a Bomb) as the maiden The Great One made play from the fence. The front-runner hit the three-eighths going great guns and took them into the stretch, daring them to catch him. Spielberg emerged as the lone chance to do so as favored Red King (Tamarkuz), impressive in romping in the GIII Bob Hope S. last time out, began to paddle at midstretch. The Great One kicked on gamely into the final sixteenth of a mile, but the blaze-faced Spielberg dug in resolutely and dove home just in front. The win was the 14th overall in the race formerly known as the Hollywood and then CashCall Futurity and the winner represents a seventh different ownership group in the seven years the race has taken place at Los Al.

Second in the Sept. 7 GI Del Mar Futurity and third in the Sept. 26 GI American Pharoah S. as a maiden, Spielberg was more workmanlike than brilliant in graduating by a neck going a mile at Del Mar Nov. 1 and he was exiting a fourth, beaten 9 1/2 lengths, when last seen in the Bob Hope Nov. 15.

“I knew he was going to run well because he had shipped well over here and was really on it in the paddock,” said Baffert. “I thought it was an easy spot last time and he didn’t ship well. He got nervous when he got in the stall there [Del Mar] and was just flat. We ran him back too quick. I asked [jockey Flavien Prat] if there’s more there and he said there’s a lot more. I think he’ll get better with maturity.”

Pedigree Notes:

Spielberg becomes the 16th black-type winner and ninth at the graded level for Union Rags and is bred like his sire’s Grade I winner Union Strike. The winner’s dam is a daughter of SP Miss Kate (Storm Cat)-the cross of Union Rags over the late Overbrook sire is responsible for another two of Union Rags’s GISWs-also the dam of the SWs Outplay (Bernardini), Raconteur (A.P. Indy) and Katerbug (Pulpit). Spielberg’s dual Grade I-winning third dam produced Clear Mandate (Deputy Minister), herself a three-time winner at the highest level and dam of MGSW/MGISP Newfoundland (Storm Cat), GISW Strong Mandate (Tiznow) and SW Full Mandate (A.P. Indy). Miss Squeal is the dam of a yearling filly by Honor Code, a weanling filly by Bernardini and was most recently bred to City of Light.

Saturday, Los Alamitos
LOS ALAMITOS FUTURITY-GII, $200,500, Los Alamitos, 12-19, 2yo, 1 1/16m, 1:42.56, ft.
1–SPIELBERG, 120, c, 2, by Union Rags
1st Dam: Miss Squeal, by Smart Strike
2nd Dam: Miss Kate, by Storm Cat
3rd Dam: Dream Deal, by Sharpen Up (GB)
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($1,000,000
Ylg ’19 KEESEP). O-SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket
Stables LLC, Golconda Stables, Siena Farm LLC & Robert E.
Masterson; B-G. Watts Humphrey (KY); T-Bob Baffert; J-Flavien
Prat. $120,000. Lifetime Record: MGISP, 6-2-2-1, $257,200.
Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–The Great One, 120, c, 2, Nyquist–Little Ms Protocol, by El
Corredor. ($125,000 Ylg ’19 OBSOCT; $185,000 2yo ’20
OBSOPN). O-ERJ Racing, LLC, Train Wreck Al Racing Stables,
Niall J. Brennan, Tom Fritz & William Strauss; B-Coteau Grove
Farms (LA); T-Doug F. O’Neill. $40,000.
3–Petruchio, 120, g, 2, Into Mischief–Satirical, by Distorted
Humor. O-Perry R. Bass II & Ramona S. Bass; B-Bass Stables,
LLC (KY); T-Richard E. Mandella. $24,000.
Margins: NO, 3HF, 5. Odds: 1.90, 33.60, 6.00.
Also Ran: Red Flag, Weston, Positivity.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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Allred Threatens To Cease Racing At Los Al After CHRB Approves Only Six-Month License

Los Alamitos owner Dr. Ed Allred threatened to withdraw his racing license application and cease racing at the Cypress, Calif. track on Thursday, reports the Los Angeles Times, when the California Horse Racing Board was preparing to vote whether to approve only a six-month license during its regular meeting.

Allred had applied for a year-long Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing license at Los Alamitos, but the six-month idea was proposed by vice-chairman Oscar Gonzales in light of Los Al's 29 racing or training fatalities since Dec. 27, 2019.

Allred was allowed to speak at the virtual board meeting prior to the vote, and argued that Los Alamitos can't operate with a six-month license because horsemen need to be able to plan for an entire year.

Commissioners were tied 3-3 on the six-month license in the first vote, and tied again on a proposal to grant a one-year license with a six-month review process. Gonzales was eventually able to convince two of the dissenting board members to vote for a six-month license, and the measure passed 5-1 with chairman Gregory Ferraro the lone nay.

“Los Alamitos will be requesting reconsideration of the action taken by the board and hopes that its request will be acted on in an expedited manner,” Jack Liebau, the track's vice president, told the Los Angeles Times.

California January Mixed Sale Catalog Now Online

The catalog for the 2021 California Thoroughbred Breeders' Association January Mixed Sale is now online, featuring 161 entries.

The auction will take place Wednesday, Jan. 6 at Fairplex Park in Pomona, Calif., beginning at noon, Pacific. The location is subject to change due to COVID-19 restrictions.

This year's catalog features 70 broodmares, 52 juveniles, 22 yearlings, and 17 racing prospects.

Stallions represented in the catalog by their first crops of 2-year-olds include Cat Burglar, Danzing Candy, and Stanford. First-crop sires of yearlings include Bolt d'Oro, Cloud Computing, and Greyvitos. A pregnant mare from the first crop of stallion Om is also entered in the sale.

To view the online catalog, click here.

To view the supplemental entries, click here.

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No Racing At Golden Gate Fields Until Dec. 26

For the “safety and well-being” of those living or working on site at Golden Gate Fields, the facility will continue its temporary suspension of live racing until the scheduled start of the impending winter meet on Dec. 26, according to a Golden Gate Fields press release Thursday.

Towards the end of last month, racing was suspended at Golden Gate after more than 200 people living or working on-site had tested positive for the virus. The current fall meet was scheduled to end on Dec. 13.

In a separate press release Thursday, the Thoroughbred Owners of California (TOC) stated that there has been a “significant improvement in test results” at the facility. David Duggan, Golden Gate general manager and vice president,told the TDN that he was unable to provide a number as to how many positive cases there currently are at the facility.

According to Thursday’s Golden Gate press release, “The track will continue testing until all tests are returned negative and will continue to collaborate and share all testing data with the Berkeley Public Health Division (BPHD).

“All positive cases are overseen by the BPHD or the neighboring public health departments, as appropriate, through their respective case managers. Positive cases are required to isolate as per local health protocols and are not able to return to Golden Gate Fields until health clearance has been provided by the BPHD or the corresponding public health department.”

When asked what the threshold is for the resumption of live racing, Duggan said that “we would like to see very clear evidence via testing that we are in a situation where we’re almost exclusively negative.”

Representatives from the local public health department visited the facility earlier this week, Duggan confirmed. “They’re learning quite a bit about the mechanics of the whole place,” he said. “We’re working very closely with them and talking to them every single day.”

The TOC press release is as follows:

“Golden Gate Fields has been conducting COVID-19 testing of all backstretch workers as required by the health department. Testing to date has shown a significant improvement in test results. There will be continued testing of employees, and resumption of racing will be dependent upon success in the continued reduction or elimination of positive tests. Track management is continuing to work with local health authorities to insure a safe backstretch environment and a safe return to live racing.

“Morning training continues as usual. With regard to backstretch workers, the vast majority of those testing positive have returned to work, and most barns are working with full staffs. Owners with concerns about barn personnel are encouraged to reach out to their trainers for information about their particular situation. In your conversations with your trainers please stress the importance of every barn being 100% COVID compliant at all times,” the statement read.

“Until further notice, owners are not allowed to attend the morning workouts or afternoon racing. We will keep you updated as pertinent information becomes available.”

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