Red Flag serious threat to Baffert’s Futurity streak

Red Flag can stabilize the California 2-year-old division on Saturday by delivering two unprecedented feats in the same race – the first career win at Los Alamitos Race Course for his trainer, and the first loss in the Los Alamitos Futurity for another.

It would not be a crazy result. After all, John Shirreffs-trained Red Flag already blew the doors off Bob Bafferttrained Spielberg in a Grade 3 sprint last month at Del Mar.

What’s crazy is that Shirreffs has never won a race at Los Al and Baffert has never lost a Futurity at Los Al, having won all six. Both streaks would end if Red Flag runs as well in the 1 1/16-mile Futurity as in a seven-furlong sprint last month at Del Mar.

Red Flag won the Grade 3 Bob Hope by more than seven lengths; odds-on Spielberg checked in fourth. But circumstances change Saturday. The $200,000 Los Alamitos Futurity is the first route for Red Flag; distance-proven Spielberg has had nearly five weeks between starts after his last-out misfire when he jammed back in two weeks.

Also, the Futurity is more than a two-horse race. Petruchio improved after being gelded and moving to turf. Weston is a Grade 2 sprint winner and Positivity is a California-bred sprint stakes winner, both will stretch out for the first time. The Great One is a three-start maiden with a pair of fourths.

Red Flag could give Shirreffs his first win at Los Alamitos since daytime racing began in 2014. Shirreffs has started only 10 runners at the track, and he initially planned to skip the Futurity. A couple things

changed.

“Number one, [Red Flag] is doing really well,” Shirreffs said this week at his Santa Anita base. “The timing works for him, and it gives us a chance to separate some of the horses.”

Shirreffs trains 2-for-3 Red Flag for owners Jerry and Tina Moss. Shirreffs also trains Parnelli and Waspirant, who are under consideration for the Grade 3 Sham Stakes on Jan. 2 at Santa Anita. In the case of Red Flag, by first-crop sire Tamarkuz, the light bulb went on last out. After racing greenly his first two starts, including a maiden win on turf, he put it all together in the Bob Hope.

“We were just taking a chance in that race, to see how he’d do,” Shirreffs said. “We didn’t expect him to do that well.”

Red Flag was on his toes in the post parade and broke running.

“Victor [Espinoza] said he relaxed really well down the backside, so he had a little something left at the end,” Shirreffs said. He had a lot left. Red Flag won by 7 1/4 lengths.

Shirreffs does not worry about the 1 1/16-mile distance.

“The only thing will be the first turn, because it’s a little sharper at Los Al,” he said. Last out, Red Flag pressed the pace outside. But the rail for Red Flag on Saturday puts him inside pace rival Weston.

If he avoids a duel, Red Flag should win the Los Alamitos Futurity, which was won by odds-on favorites five straight years, 2014 to 2018. Last year, Thousand Words won as the second choice. Baffert has trained all six winners of the Los Alamitos Futurity, previously the Hollywood Futurity at Hollywood Park. He has won the race 12 times since 1997.

It is up to Spielberg to extend Baffert’s streak, and the trainer is willing to forgive the colt’s fourth-place finish in the Bob Hope.

“I was bringing him back in two weeks and he just ran flat,” Baffert said. “Just came back a little too quick.”

After losing the Bob Hope by 9 1/2 lengths, Spielberg could have skipped the Futurity.

“I wasn’t sure if I was going to run him,” Baffert said. “He worked well his last two works, and I knew it was going to come up a short field.”

Flavien Prat rides Spielberg, and from the outside post, he is likely for a trip similar to his sharp maiden win two back at one mile. Spielberg previously finished second in the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity and third in the Grade 1 American Pharoah at Santa Anita.

Petruchio is the unknown, other than conspicuous improvement since being gelded prior to his runner-up finish Oct. 4. That also was his first start on turf. So, what was the reason for his improvement?

“We want to see if it was the gelding that made the difference, or the turf. We’re not sure,” trainer Richard Mandella said, though he did say Petruchio’s attitude has improved. “He’s quit being foolish, he concentrates on his job now.”

Mike Smith rides Petruchio, who won a maiden turf mile last out.

The Futurity is race 4 on a 10-race card that starts at noon Pacific.

BENOIT PHOTO Red Flag (above) won the Bob Hope by 7 1/4 lengths as Bafferttrained Spielberg finished fourth. They meet again Saturday.