Today, another important points-paying Kentucky Derby prep race is on tap with the Los Alamitos Futurity. This 1 1/16th mile race carries a $350,000 purse and has 7 entries, a pair from trainers Bob Baffert and Doug O’Neill.

Last year’s race (shown below) ended in a photo finish and was one of the most exciting races of 2014.

A new star could be born in this year’s Los Al. Below are the post-positions and Morning Line Odds. Post time is roughly 6 PM CST and the race will be broadcast on TVG.

Los Alamitos Futurity – Race #8 – Post Time 5:58PM

Post Position/Horse/Jockey/Trainer/Odds
1. Urlacher – Graham/Harty – 10-1
2. Frank Conversation – Gutierrez/O’Neill – 8-1
3. Hollywood Don  – Espinoza/Miller – 6-1
4. Toews On Ice – Garcia/Baffert – 9-5
5. Mor Spirit – Stevens/Baffert – 8-5
6. Sorryaboutnothing – Bejarano/O’Neill – 12-1
7. I’malreadythere – Baze/Hollendorfer – 8-1

Overall, my feeling is that this race will be won by one of the Bob Babbert entries, either Toews On Ice or Mor Spirit.

Toews On Ice has won his last three starts but has never raced beyond 7 furlongs. However, in the 2015 Bob Hopes Stakes (shown below) he displayed a fighting and it didn’t appear that he would have any problems going an extra 1.5 furlongs.

Mor Spirit is the more accomplished horse at this distance. He finished second in the sloppy 1 1/16th mile Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (shown below). Baffert indicated that they are unsure of Mor Spirit’s running style but they plan to sit back and attack this time instead of pressing the pace so early like they did in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes.

For betting, I would probably recommend a large Boxed Exacta (4,5 over 4,5,6) and/or a $5 Superfecta wheel (4,5,6 over 4,5,6, over 3,4,6 over 3,6) that would cost $30.

Hollywood Don and Sorryaboutnothing probably represent your best bets to round out a Trifecta. Hollywood Don has only raced on dirt once–a 3rd place finish behind Nyquist and Swipe in the FrontRunner Stakes. And Hollywood Don finished 9th in his last start on turf. Doug O’Neill’s Sorryaboutnothing seems to be the best upset candidate with the way he ran in a 1 mile MSW race at Del Mar on November 15th (click HERE)

–Michael