Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
McKinzie receives lesson in drill for CashCall Futurity
ARCADIA, Calif. – McKinzie, the maiden-race winner who will be favored to win his stakes debut in Saturday’s Grade 1 Los Alamitos CashCall Futurity, worked six furlongs in 1:12.80 on Sunday at Santa Anita.
The workout included a vital lesson for the colt, who has had one start. Another horse worked in front of McKinzie, who took dirt in his face. McKinzie had the fastest sixfurlong work Sunday.
“It was one of his best,” trainer Bob Baffert said. “He took the dirt well.”
McKinzie, named for the late Los Alamitos racing executive Brad McKinzie, won a sevenfurlong maiden race Oct. 28 at Santa Anita, drawing off to prevail by 5 1/2 lengths. McKinzie is co-owned by Mike Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman. Baffert and the owners were all close friends with Brad McKinzie, who died in August.
The $300,000 Los Alamitos Futurity is run at 1 1/16 miles and will have a short field, including the Baffert-trained Solomini, who was second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile on Nov. 4 at Del Mar.
Other candidates are Greyvitos, who won the Bob Hope Stakes at seven furlongs Nov. 11 at Del Mar; Instilled Regard, a maiden-race winner Oct. 29 at Santa Anita; and Runaway Ghost, who won the Golden Nugget Stakes at six furlongs Nov. 11 at Golden Gate Fields.
Solomini worked five furlongs in 1:01.80 on Sunday. Solomini was second in the Grade 1 FrontRunner Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on Sept. 30 at Santa Anita.
Saturday’s program at Los Alamitos includes the Grade 1 Starlet Stakes for 2-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles. Baffert has two prospects – Alluring Star, who was second in the BC Juvenile Fillies, and the unbeaten Dream Tree, who won the Desi Arnaz Stakes at seven furlongs Nov. 18 at Del Mar.
Alluring Star worked five furlongs in 1:00.60 on Sunday at Santa Anita.
Other probable starters are Exuberance, Miss Mo Mentum, Piedi Bianchi, War Heroine, and Yesterday’s News.
Faypien, Unique Bella work
Graded stakes winners Faypien and Unique Bella worked Sunday at Santa Anita in advance of their first-ever meeting in the Grade 1 La Brea Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at seven furlongs Dec. 26.
The $300,000 La Brea Stakes is part of the opening-day program of Santa Anita’s winter-spring meeting.
Unique Bella, a four-time graded stakes winner, worked five furlongs in 58.80 seconds, the fastest of 55 recorded works at the distance.
Trained by Jerry Hollendorfer, Unique Bella was seventh in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint on Nov. 4 at Del Mar, setting the pace for the first half-mile before fading from contention.
“She went too fast,” Hollendorfer recalled Sunday.
Faypien worked five furlongs in 1:01. Trained by Baffert, Faypien was second in the minor Beverly Lewis Stakes at Los Alamitos in September in her last start. Earlier this year, Faypien won the Grade 2 Summertime Oaks at 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita and was second in the Grade 1 Test Stakes at seven furlongs at Saratoga.
One Fast Broad getting break
Two-time stakes winner One Fast Broad will continue to race against California-bred fillies in early 2018, owner and trainer Mick Ruis said Sunday.
One Fast Broad won the $101,380 Soviet Problem Stakes for 2-year-old statebred fillies at a mile on dirt Saturday at Los Alamitos, four weeks after her win in the Golden State Juvenile Fillies on dirt at Del Mar. Ruis, who co-owns the filly with his wife Wendy, said the next goal will be the $200,000 California Cup Oaks at a mile on turf for statebred 3-year-old fillies Feb. 19 at Santa Anita.
“We’ll give her a little bit of time,” Ruis said. “It’s $200,000, and I think she’ll be the favorite in that.”
One Fast Broad has won 3 of 5 starts and earned $229,000.
By Decarchy, One Fast Broad is unbeaten in three starts on dirt, including a maiden race at Del Mar in August. On turf, One Fast Broad has raced twice against open company, finishing second in the Del Mar Juvenile Turf in September and fourth in the Surfer Girl Stakes at Santa Anita in October.
Ruis believes One Fast Broad is better on turf.
“She deserves a break,” he said. “We can get her back to what I think is her best surface.”