Olympic Legend | Horse Racing Free Tips

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.

The post Baffert To Saddle Messier, Barossa In Search Of Eighth Straight Win In Los Alamitos Futurity appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Heavily-favored Enbarr made his first victory a stakes success, rallying past stablemate Montebello in the final eighth of a mile to capture the $75,000 Capote Saturday at Los Alamitos Race Course in Cypress, Calif.

Trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert for Baoma Corporation, the 2-year-old Brody's Cause colt sat third behind the early pace set by Montebello, the 3-2 second choice, and 12-1 shot Olympic Legend, steered outside entering the stretch and went on to win by a comfortable one length in 1:16.33 for the 6 ½ furlongs.

Second behind stablemate – and eventual Del Mar Futurity winner – Pinehurst in his debut Aug. 1, Enbarr, who was ridden by Drayden Van Dyke, paid $2.80 and $2.10 as the 2-5 choice. There was no show wagering after Rhetoric, who is also trained by Baffert, and Fascinated were scratched earlier in the day.

Montebello, who finished eight lengths clear of Olympic Legend, returned $2.10. It was the Curlin colt's second consecutive runner-up finish in a stakes. The New York bred completed the exacta behind Senbei in the Funny Cide Aug. 27 at Saratoga.

Although a 1-2 finish for the stable was the desired result, the race didn't play out exactly as assistant trainer Mike Marlow thought it would.

“We thought Enbarr would be showing the way early and Montebello would be a couple of lengths off him,'' he said. “They broke and that's how it ended up with Montebello in front and Enbarr tracking.

“They're both good horses. I think Montebello is going to be better around two turns. He's got that high cruising speed while Enbarr is just a fast horse.''

Van Dyke, who was aboard Enbarr for the first time, was impressed with the colt purchased for $200,000 as a yearling.

“I just played the break and when (Montebello) showed more speed I let my horse relax,'' he said. “He gave me a good run around the turn and then really kicked into gear at the top of the stretch when he switched leads. He was just idling at the end once he got past.''

Out of the Warrior's Reward mare Star of Gallantry, Enbarr increased his earnings to $57,500.

Racing resumes Sunday at Los Alamitos. Post time is 1 p.m.

The program is highlighted by a pair of stakes – the $100,000 Los Alamitos Special for older horses at 1 1/16 miles and the $75,000 Dark Mirage for older fillies and mares at one mile.

The Special is the fifth of nine races while the Dark Mirage is the eighth.

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