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Red Flag Tops Los Al Futurity

Red Flag (Tamarkuz), last seen romping in the GIII Bob Hope S. Nov. 15, headlines Saturday’s GII Los Alamitos Futurity S. Off the board in his main track debut Sept. 6, the chestnut graduated in a turf sprint at Santa Anita Oct. 10 and romped by 7 1/4 lengths in Del Mar’s seven-panel Bob Hope back on dirt, earning an 81 Beyer Speed Figure. This will be his first try around two turns.

The only horse in the field to run a faster number is Spielberg (Union Rags), who earned an 83 Beyer when graduating two starts back going a mile at Del Mar Nov. 1. Second to Dr. Schivel (Violence) in his first two attempts, including the Sept. 7 GI Del Mar Futurity, the $1-million KEESEP buy was third as the favorite in the 1 1/16-mile GI American Pharoah S. at Santa Anita Sept. 26. Breaking his maiden going a mile in SoCal Nov. 1, the chestnut was fourth last time in the Bob Hope. His trainer Bob Baffert has won the last six straight renewals of this event and took home the Los Al Futurity trophy 12 times total.

Weston (Hit It a Bomb) opened his account with a pair of victories, including the GII Best Pal S. Aug. 8. The gelding was third in the Del Mar Futurity and fifth in the Bob Hope. He also navigates a route of ground for the first time here.

Richard Mandella saddled leading sire Into Mischief to a win in this event when it was a Grade I and known as the CashCall Futurity S. back in 2007. The Hall of Famer saddles one of that stallion’s sons in this year’s renewal in Bass homebred Petruchio. Third in his first two starts at Del Mar Aug. 1 and Aug. 29, respectively, the bay missed by a neck going a mile on the lawn in Arcadia Oct. 4 and broke through going that distance on the Del Mar sod Oct. 31.

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Derby Prep: Red Flag Stretches Out In Los Alamitos Futurity

Red Flag, an impressive winner of the Grade 3 Bob Hope in his stakes debut Nov. 15 at Del Mar, will try two turns for the first time in the $200,000 Los Alamitos Futurity this Saturday.

A Grade 2 held over 1 1/16 miles, the Futurity will be run for the seventh time at Los Alamitos after having its first 33 renewals at Hollywood Park (1981-2013).

Post time Saturday is 12 Noon. The Futurity is the fourth of 10 races and has a scheduled post time of 1:28 p.m.

Won in the past by stars such as Snow Chief, A.P. Indy, Best Pal, Real Quiet, Point Given, Lookin At Lucky and Shared Belief, the Futurity is part of the “Road to the Kentucky Derby'' series. The winner Saturday will receive 10 points towards securing a spot in the starting gate next May 1 at Churchill Downs.

Owned by Jerry and Tina Moss and trained by John Shirreffs, Red Flag, who was supplemented to the Futurity for $7,500, has won two of three starts and banked $94,100.

A son of Tamarkuz and the Stormy Atlantic mare Surrender, Red Flag finished fifth in his career debut Sept. 6 at Del Mar, then scored a narrow victory when switched to turf Oct. 10 at Santa Anita, defeating next out graduate Gator Shining and five others.

Returned to dirt in the Hope, Red Flag was prominent from the outset while in the clear, then powered home in the final quarter of a mile to win by 7 ¼ lengths as a 10-1 outsider in the field of six.

Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella will be represented by Petruchio, who is owned by Claiborne Farm, Ramona and Perry Bass II and Adele Dilschneider.

A gelded son of Into Mischief – who won the 2007 Futurity at Hollywood Park for Mandella – and the Distorted Humor mare Satirical, Petruchio earned his first win in his fourth start, defeating maidens as the 11-10 favorite going one mile on turf Oct. 31 at Del Mar.

No worse than third in his career, Petruchio has earned $58,400.

Hall of Famer trainer Bob Baffert entered Spielberg as he seeks his seventh consecutive Futurity win at Los Alamitos. Baffert has won the previous six with Dortmund (2014), Mor Spirit (2015), Mastery (2016), McKinzie (2017), Improbable (2018) and Thousand Words (2019). All told, Baffert has won the Futurity 12 times.

Owned by SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Golconda Stables, Siena Farm LLC and Robert Masterson, Spielberg, a Union Rags colt out of the Smart Strike mare Miss Squeal, was the beaten favorite in the Hope, finishing a distant fourth at 3-5 odds.

On the board in two G1 races – second behind Dr. Schivel in the Del Mar Futurity and third in the American Pharoah won by Get Her Number – Spielberg is 1-for-5 with earnings of $137,200.

Besides Red Flag, Weston is the only other graded stakes winner in the field.

Co-owned by Chris Drakos and trainer Ryan Hanson, Weston captured the Grade 2 Best Pal earlier this year. The Hit It a Bomb gelding out of the Dixie Union mare Elke has won twice in four races and earned $152,000.

Before finishing fifth in the Hope, Weston was a first out winner June 21 and was third in the Del Mar Futurity a month after his Best Pal victory.

Second against fellow California breds in the Golden State Juvenile Nov. 7, Positivity will stretch out for trainer Paddy Gallagher in his second start since being purchased privately by Annie, Justyn and Charles Winner.

A son of Paynter and the City Zip mare Sam's Sunny City, Positivity is 2-for-3 with earnings of $115,500. His two wins – including a stakes score in the Graduation Aug. 2 at Del Mar – came for former trainer Luis Mendez.

Trained by Doug O'Neill for a partnership that includes ERJ Racing LLC, The Great One is a three-start maiden with earnings of $7,340. In his most recent start Nov. 29, the Nyquist colt out of the El Corredor mare Little Ms Protocol was fourth after setting the pace in a one mile race on the Del Mar turf.

From inside out, the field for the Los Alamitos Futurity: Red Flag, Victor Espinoza rides, 120 pounds; Petruchio, Mike Smith, 120; The Great One, Abel Cedillo, 120; Weston, Tyler Baze, 120; Positivity, Drayden Van Dyke, 120 and Spielberg, Flavien Prat, 120.

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Tamarkuz Colt Red Flag Cruises To Bob Hope Victory At Del Mar

The million-dollar yearling Spielberg went off as the odds-on favorite, but it was Red Flag – who “only” cost $220,000 at the same Kentucky sale – flying home the winner Sunday in the seventh edition of the Grade 3 Bob Hope Stakes for 2-year-olds at Del Mar.

Red Flag, from the first crop of the Speightstown stallion Tamarkuz, battled early with his more-expensive rival, but assumed command under Victor Espinoza approaching the quarter pole and drew out under a hand ride to an easy 7 1/4-length triumph. The victory was worth $60,000 from the $100,500 purse and pushed the youngster's earnings to $94,100 after three starts. He covered the seven furlongs in 1:23.56.

Red Flag is owned by Tina and Jerome Moss of Los Angeles and is trained by John Shirreffs. The chestnut colt's green and pink colors were familiar ones to those who followed the amazing career of the champion mare Zenyatta, co-owned by Jerome Moss and trained by Shirreffs.

Finishing second was Eric Homme's Uncle Boogie and third was Reddam Racing's Ambivalent. Spielberg, who is owned by a group that includes SF Racing, Starlight Racing or Madaket Stables and others, and went off at 3-5, finished fourth nearly 10 lengths behind the winner.

Red Flag paid $23.40, $9.60 and $9.40 across the board. Uncle Boogie returned $6.00 and $5.60, while Ambivalent paid $6.60 to show.

“John (trainer Shirreffs) said, 'You know him (Espinoza broke his maiden on him last out on Oct. 10 at Santa Anita), go ahead and see what you can do with him.' He broke running and he wanted to go. He seemed to be more professional today than last time. He's still a baby and he was fooling around before. Be he was good today and did all the right things. He'll go farther, for sure. With the way he ran today, why not?”

“I didn't really expect that kind of performance,” said Shirreffs. “I was hoping to get a placing. He broke his maiden from way off the pace and he's been doing better and better in the mornings, but he's not a brilliant work horse. So this was a pleasant surprise. You always hope but you never know. He's gone from 5 1/2-furlongs to seven, so it looks like he'll be able to go longer. It's special because (owners) Mr. and Mrs. Moss were here today and got to see him run.”

Leading rider Abel Cedillo and leading trainer Peter Miller won the nitecap together with Magical Thought ($20.60) and stayed on top in each of their categories after eight days of the current 15-day session. Cedillo now has 13 firsts and Miller has seven. Cedillo was the top rider at last fall's Bing Crosby meet and Miller has won four different versions of the “second season” at Del Mar.

Del Mar will return to action on Friday with first post at 12:30 p.m.

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Spielberg Favored to Continue Baffert Streak in Bob Hope

With the ongoing Del Mar meet renamed a few years ago to honor Hollywood icon Bing Crosby, it seems only fitting that a colt named Spielberg (Union Rags) would take his shot in the GIII Bob Hope S., the race formerly known as the Hollywood Prevue S. The $1-millon Keeneland September graduate should jump a warm favorite for the seven-furlong affair, a race won by his trainer Bob Baffert no fewer than six times in its last nine runnings and 10 times dating back to 1996.

Runner-up on debut and in the GI Del Mar Futurity to the talented Dr Schivel (Violence), the chestnut was never truly dangerous when third in the GI American Pharoah S. at Santa Anita Sept. 20. He was more workmanlike than spectacular in graduating by a mile here 13 days ago, but is nevertheless the one they’ll have to beat.

Weston (Hit It a Bomb) is the only member of the Bob Hope sextet with a graded victory to his credit, having earned a neck success in the GII Best Pal S. Aug. 8 prior to a third in the Futurity, where Spielberg was 3 3/4 lengths ahead of him.

Ambivalent (Constitution) enters the Bob Hope a five-time maiden, though he did cross the line third in the Best Pal, only to be disqualified to fourth. A close third in the Del Mar Juvenile Turf S. Sept. 7, he turns back off a distant sixth to Jackie’s Warrior (Maclean’s Music) in the GI Champagne S. over a mile Oct. 10.

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