Racing! Congrats on Bob Baffert’s five-win day

Hello, my name is John Cherwa and welcome back to our horse racing newsletter as we’re pretty sure who is going to win the 3-year-old colt Eclipse Award.

Before we get to trainer Bob Baffert’s dominance in the Los Alamitos Futurity and Starlet (and five-win day), let’s briefly talk about Maximum Security locking up the 3-year-old colt Eclipse Award by winning the Grade 1 $750,000 Cigar Mile at Aqueduct.

Maximum Security is best known as the only horse in the 145-year history of the Kentucky Derby to be disqualified from first on race day. It was his third Grade 1 win of the year, which includes the Florida Derby and Haskell. It was his third win in a row.

The colt went to the front and never looked in trouble. He took command on the far turn and breezed home. The winning margin was a hand-ridden 3 ½ lengths. Luiz Saez, his regular rider was in the saddle. And Jason Servis is the trainer.

“If the horse comes out of this race fine, then the Pegasus (Jan. 25 at Gulfstream) will be his next stop,” said Gary West, who co-owns the horse with is wife Mary. “My personal opinion is he ought to be the 3-year-old Eclipse Award winner. I don’t think anyone has the credentials he demonstrated throughout the entire year. He’s had setbacks with colic and fought through some things, but that was a pretty impressive race we saw there.”

eg. vs. i.e.

In Saturday’s newsletter I made a comment about how Rick Baedeker, in his letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom, used an eg. and I would have used an i.e. A couple of journalists, including Bob Kieckhefer, the UPI racing writer and expert on international racing, messaged me to say they were not the same thing, as I had said. What I said was they “mean” the same thing and I stand by it.

Eg. translates to “for example” and i.e. translates to “in other words.” In my little pea-brain I think the general concept is the same, although I will concede that if splitting hairs there is a slight difference. It got me thinking as to thousands of things you learn about the language as a journalist and how those things stick with you.

For example, (or is it in other words?), I was crushed when Webster’s made “host” a verb. I spent a lot of time changing sentences like, (not such as) “The Dodgers will host the Nationals.” to “The Dodgers will play host to the Nationals.” But then host became a verb because that’s how it was used when speaking.

Another one is the usage of “more than” and “over.” Over can be used as a physical position (“He towers over his opponent.”) or in conjunction with an age (“The race is for horses over 2.”). More than pretty much covers everything else. (“He ran more than a mile.”)

And, finally, for those who believe (not feel) they’ve had enough, there is one I won’t give up on. Drives me crazy to see learned people misuse “anxious” and “eager.” Here it is in a nutshell. Anxious is a word you use when you are dreading something. (“He is anxious about his meeting with the stewards.”) Eager is when you are looking forward to something. (“He is eager to get to the winner’s circle.”)

Or as you are thinking: “I’m going to get awful anxious if Cherwa keeps acting like he knows the language. I’m eager for him to stop.”

And, so I shall. Writing lesson is done.

CHRB rules reaction

And speaking of Baedeker’s letter to the Gov., my email blew up on Saturday. Just a scant few of you believed these measures were steps in the right direction. The overwhelming tone of things were that these were going to further weaken California racing, driving it to extinction.

The current hot-button issue is use of the whip. There are two proposals out there, both severely limiting its use. I’ve had several bettors tell me if whip use goes away then they will go away with it. It’s an optics issue mostly. No one wants to see a horse being whaled on down the stretch and that’s the perception racing is trying to erase.

Another thing brought up by a couple readers is there is no such thing as zero tolerance to any drug-tested medication. That’s true, so the CHRB will have to set minimum standards just so the testing falls in a margin of error.

These changes are a very emotional issues to those who follow California racing. How it ends up, we’ll have to wait and see.

Los Alamitos daytime review

Baffert won five of the nine races on Los Alamitos’ Saturday card. He thought it was the first time he did it since 1982 when he was training quarter horses at Prescott Downs in Arizona.

“I thought all five of these horses were live, but usually that means you’re lucky if you win one,” Baffert told Bob Mieszerski of Los Alamitos. “You never know. It worked out well.”

He won both stakes races and also won with Speed Pass (allowance/optional claimer), Message (a/oc) and Ra’ad (maiden special). But let’s get to his big wins.

Grade 2 $200,000 Los Alamitos Futurity: Baffert won this race for the 12^th time when Thousand Words was best in the 1 1/16 mile Kentucky Derby qualifying race. This was the sixth time the race has been held at Los Alamitos, previously at Hollywood Park, and Baffert has won all of them. The 2-year-old, running only his second race, stayed near the lead in the four-horse race and went to the front in the stretch. He did have to work for the win, beating Anneau d’Or by a neck.

Thousand Words paid $5.40 and $2.40. High Velocity, also trained by Baffert, was third and Wrecking Crew, who was eased, finished the field.

Here’s what the winning connections had to say.

Baffert (winning trainer): “Turning for home I thought I could run 1-2. But then I saw [Anneau d’Or] and I thought, ‘Oh no, he’s going to get us, but [Thousand Words] was game. When that horse came to him, he took off and when he came back after the race, he wasn’t even blowing hard. Distance isn’t going to be a problem. That’s impressive when they can win like that second time out.”

Flavien Prat (winning jockey): “He broke fine and relaxed perfectly. He was looking around a little bit when he made the lead, but when [Anneau d’Or] came to him, he regrouped and fought back.”

Grade 1 $300,000 Starlet: It was a tough race but Bast went to the lead and never gave it up despite being pressured by Donna Veloce, the heavy favorite. It was only a five-horse race. Bast paid $6.40 and $2.10. Donna Veloce was second followed by K P Dreamin, Gingham and Roadrunner’s Honor.

Here’s what the winning connections had to say.

Baffert (winning trainer): “She was doing so much better for this race than she was before the Breeders’ Cup [Juvenile Fillies]. I think the race before (a neck win in the Grade I Chandelier Sept. 27) took a lot out of her. She was training like she did at Del Mar. [The Juvenile Fillies] was my fault. I told [jockey John Velazquez] to get her into the race early and she got involved with some fast fractions. She did well to hang on for third because that track was so deep and tiring. We knew when we got her on this dirt surface, she would love it and she just bounced over it. Turning for home I was confident because she had been doing so well and her last work was so strong.”

Drayden Van Dyke (winning jockey): “She was going easy out there and really responded when I asked her in the stretch. The track was great [Saturday].”

Los Alamitos daytime preview

Here’s a trivia question for you. Which is the only track in the U.S. on Sunday with a graded stakes race? By the positioning of this question, the answer is pretty obvious. The Grade 3 $100,000 Bayakoa Stakes for fillies and mares going 1 1/16 miles is the feature race on this nine-race card beginning at 12:30 p.m.

The favorite, at 5-2, is Mirth for trainer Phil D’Amato and jockey Edwin Maldonado. She was sixth in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf, but there is no turf course at Los Alamitos. She does have a Grade 1 win in the Rodeo at Santa Anita. She is five-for-17 lifetime.

Lady Subee is the second favorite, at 3-1, for John Sadler and Tyler Baze. She has won four-of-17 lifetime but her best win was a black type stakes, the Tranquility Lake at Del Mar. She was 10^th last out in a minor stakes at Santa Anita. Post is around 4 p.m.

Here are the field sizes, in order: 6, 6, 7, 9, 10, 8, 7, 8, 10 (2 also eligible).

Ciaran Thornton’s Lrc picks of the day

RACE THREE: No. 1 Heywoods Beach (10-1)

Heywoods Beach is a trainer John Sadler and owner Hronis Racing horse with Tyler Baze riding. Finished sixth, 10 lengths back in the debut on turf in October but the race proved strong with the first- and second-place horses returning to win. The colt cost $180k and races protected on Sunday. Baze is winning 36% for Sadler and the 10-1 morning line price is attractive in this wide-open race.

Saturday’s result: Ultimate Shiloh drifted out to 20-1 post time and looked a winner for half the race tracking the gate to wire winner in second until fading badly. Watch next out if they race this horse shorter.

Ciaran Thornton is the handicapper for Californiapick4.com, which offers daily full card picks, longshots of the day, best bets of the day.

Big races review

A look at graded stakes or races worth $100,000 or more on Saturday or late Friday.

Aqueduct (2): $150,000 Winter Memories Stakes, fillies 3-years-old, 1 1/16 miles on turf. Winner: Feel Glorious ($5.40)

Gulfstream (2): $110,000 Claiming Crown Express, 3 and up, 6 furlongs. Winner: Brother Chub ($22.40)

Aqueduct (4): $125,000 Autumn Days Stakes, fillies and mares 3 and up, 6 furlongs on turf. Winner: Saratoga Treasure ($37.80)

Gulfstream (4): $110,000 Claiming Crown Glass Slipper, fillies and mares 3 and up, 1 mile. Winner: Liza Star ($12.40)

Tampa Bay (3): $100,000 Inaugural Stakes, 2-year-olds, 6 furlongs. Winner: Zayno Boyz ($38.00)

Gulfstream (5): $110,000 Claiming Crown Distaff Dash, Fla-bred fillies and mares 3 and up, 5 furlongs on turf. Winner: Thinkin Cowtown ($8.00)

Aqueduct (6): Grade 3 $250,000 Go for Wand Handicap, fillies and mares 3 and up, 1 mile. Winner: Spiced Perfection ($4.80)

Gulfstream (6): $110,000 Claiming Crown Rapid Transit, 3 and up, 7 furlongs. Winner: Royal Squeeze ($7.80)

Gulfstream (7): $110,000 Claiming Crown Canterbury, 5 furlongs on turf. Winner: Shekky Shebaz ($2.60)

Aqueduct (8): Grade 2 $250,000 Demoiselle Stakes, fillies 2-years-old, 1 1/16 miles. Winner: Lake Avenue ($10.80)

Laurel (6): $100,000 Maryland Juvenile Filly Championship, Mary-bred fillies 2-year-olds, 7 furlongs. Winner: Hello Beautiful ($5.00)

Laurel (7): $100,000 Maryland Juvenile Futurity, Mary-bred 2-year-olds, 7 furlongs. Winner: Laddie Liam ($6.80)

Gulfstream (8): $110,000 Claiming Crown Iron Horse, 3 and up, 1 1/16 miles. Winner: Yes I see ($135.20)

Parx (8): $100,000 Pennsylvania Nursery Stakes, Penn-breds 2-year-olds, 7 furlongs. Winner: Hockey Puck ($29.80)

Aqueduct (9): Grade 2 $250,000 Remsen Stakes, 2-year-olds, 1 1/16 miles. Winner: Shotski ($19.60)

Gulfstream (9): $125,000 Claiming Crown Tiara, fillies and mares 3 and up, 1 1/16 miles on turf. Winner: Lucky Long ($9.40)

Aqueduct (10): Grade 1 $750,000 Cigar Mile, 3 and up, 1 mile. Winner: Maximum Security ($4.60)

Gulfstream (10): $200,000 Claiming Crown Jewel, 3 and up, 1 1/8 miles. Winner: Leitone ($3.80)

Los Alamitos (4): Grade 2 $200,000 Los Alamitos Futurity, 2-year-olds, 1 1/16 miles. Winner: Thousand Words ($5.40)

Tampa Bay (9): $100,000 Sandpiper Stakes, fillies 2-years-old, 6 furlongs. Winner: Lucezia ($4.00)

Gulfstream (11): $125,000 Claiming Crown Emerald, 3 and up, 1 1/16 miles on turf. Winner: Muggsamatic ($5.80)

Los Alamitos (7): Grade 1 $300,000 Starlet, fillies 2-years-old, 1 1/16 miles. Winner: Bast ($6.40)

Big races preview

A look at graded stakes or races worth $100,000 or more on Sunday. All times PST:

10:17 Aqueduct (4): $100,000 Garland of Roses Stakes, fillies and mares 3 and up, 6 furlongs. Favorite: Pauseforthecause (1-1)

11:37 Gulfstream (7): $100,000 Confraternity Caribbean Cup, Caribbean-breds 3 and up, 1 1/4 miles. Favorite: Kukulkan (2-5)

1:09 Gulfstream (10): $115,000 Caribbean Cup Speed, Caribbean-breds 3 and up, 6 furlongs. Favorite: Ferragamo (5-2)

1:44 Gulfstream (11): $300,000 Caribbean Classic, Caribbean-bred 3-year-olds, 1 1/8 miles. Favorite: Thibaut (7-2)

2:11 Woodbine (9): $125,000 Ontario Lassie Stakes, Ont-bred fillies 2-years-old, 1 1/16 miles. Favorite: Cool Shadows (2-1)

3:56 Los Alamitos (8): Grade 3 $100,000 Bayakoa Stakes, fillies and mares 3 and up, 1 1/16 miles. Favorite: Mirth (5-2)

Ed Burgart’s LA pick of the day

SIXTH RACE: No. 4 Mr Kelly (3-1)

He ran much better than looked in last fifth-place Los Alamitos Two Million trial outing when lugging out badly early from his outside post. He eventually leveled past the 1/16-pole when fifth vs. winner Runforyourlife, a two-time futurity first-place finisher this year. Two outs ago, Mr Kelly dropped a head photo in this maiden condition vs. Royally Significant, who next won a Golden State Million Futurity trial.

Final thoughts

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And now the stars of the show, Saturday’s results and Sunday’s entries