SHOW CARD ($3.40) WINS HER 2ND STAKES IN SEPTEMBER, CAPTURES DARK MIRAGE
Heavily-favored Show Card won her second stakes race in a span of 19 days, defeating 9-5 second choice Coffee in Bed and four other fillies and mares in the $125,000 Dark Mirage Saturday at Los Alamitos.
Owned and bred by Juddmonte and trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, the 3-year-old Into Mischief filly recovered from a slightly tardy beginning to stalk the early pacesetters while in the clear, took over into the stretch and ultimately prevailed by 1 ¼ lengths as the 7-10 choice.
A 10-length winner of the Tranquility Lake less than three weeks prior in her first start after nearly three months on the bench, Show Card earned her fourth win in seven starts and returned $3.40 and $3.20. There was no show wagering.
Out of the Uncle Mo mare Cognitive, Show Card covered the mile in 1:37.75 and pushed her bankroll to $223,550.
Coffee in Bed, who was getting some class relief for Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella after six consecutive starts in graded events, rallied along the inside to gain second while finishing 2 ½ lengths in front of 4-1 third choice Victorious. The place price on Coffee in Bed was $2.40.
The win was the second in four renewals of the Dark Mirage for Baffert and Hernandez. They also collaborated with Ganadora in 2022.
“We didn’t’ really have any big plans for how the race would play out,’’ said Baffert assistant Mike Marlow. “(Hernandez) knows her well and how to ride her. She got away a step slow, but he was smart, just picked his spot on the outside and it all worked out well for us. She’s tough. She wants to win.’’
Hernandez added to his record daytime meet total with his 19th local stakes victory.
“She broke out and a little slow, but it worked out well,’’ said Hernandez, who teamed with Baffert earlier to win the day’s opener with 2-year-old debuter Silent Law, who scored by 10 lengths. “We were able to sit off the leaders and in the clear. She was strong through the stretch and I look forward to riding her again.’’
Heading into the final day of the September meet Edwin Maldonado has a one-win lead (6-5) over Tiago Pereira and Diego Herrera in the jockey standings. Sergio Morfin leads the trainers with three victories.
Racing resumes Sunday. Post time is 1 p.m. and there will be mandatory payouts in all wagers.
HEAVILY-FAVORED PLEASANT TOYS WITH FOES IN CLOSING DAY FEATURE
Making her first start in 13 months, heavily-favored Pleasant dominated her four opponents to win the $47,696 feature Sunday, closing day of the September meet at Los Alamitos.
Owned and bred by Juddmonte and trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, the lightly-raced 4-year-old daughter of Munnings and the Medaglia d’Oro mare Fair Lady tracked pacesetter Don’t Bring Crazy early, took over early in the stretch and cruised home by five lengths.
The win was the third in four starts for Pleasant, who was ridden by Juan Hernandez. She paid $2.80 and $2.40 – there was no show wagering – and completed the 6 ½ furlongs in 1:15.05. The bay has now earned $129,000.
Glorious Spring, the longest shot in the field at 19-1, rallied to complete the exacta while finishing 1 ¼ lengths in front of Don’t Bring Crazy. First or second in all four of her races at Los Alamitos, Glorious Spring returned $8.80 to place.
Tom’s Regret, the 9-2 second choice, and Rose Maddox completed the order of finish.
The all-time leader at the daytime thoroughbred meets with 145 wins, Edwin Maldonado (right) shared the jockey title with Edgar Payeras and Tiago Pereira. All had six victories, one more than Diego Herrera.
It was the fourth time Maldonado either won or shared the crown while it was the first for both Payeras and Pereira.
Sergio Morfin earned his initial local training title, finishing the season with four wins, one more than Baffert and Dean Pederson.
The final daytime thoroughbred meet of the year at Los Alamitos will begin Friday, Dec. 6. The Winter season will be highlighted by a pair of graded events for 2-year-olds. The Grade II, $200,000-guaranteed Starlet for 2-year-old fillies will be run Saturday, Dec 7 while the Grade II, $200,000-guaranteed Los Alamitos Futurity will be offered Saturday, Dec. 14. Both races are at 1 1/16 miles.
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE TOP HANDICAPPER OF SEPTEMBER CONTEST
Congratulations to the top player of the September NHC Qualifier at Los Alamitos. Ray Sainz (on the right) and Len Hanson (middle) finished in the top two spots and both earned seats to the 2025 NHC Championship in Las Vegas. Sainz is now double qualified. Joe Vida (left) finished third and also won the King of Churn as the bettor with the highest amount wagered during the contest with $1,717. George Duarte was fourth and Stephen Gravina was fifth. Our next contest will be in mid-December.
STARLET AND LOS ALAMITOS FUTURITY NOMINATIONS REMAIN OPEN THROUGH SEPT. 30
The window for nominations to the Grade II, $200,000-guaranteed Starlet and Grade II, $200,000 guaranteed Los Alamitos Futurity will remain open until Monday, Sept. 30.
The two signature events of the upcoming Winter Thoroughbred meet, which will begin Friday, Dec. 6 and continue through Sunday, Dec. 15, are for 2-year-olds. The Starlet – for fillies – is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 7 while the Futurity will be run a week later (Saturday, Dec. 14).
The Starlet, which has been run at Los Alamitos since 2014, has been won locally by such notables as Take Charge Brandi, the 2014 champion 2-year-old filly, Abel Tasman, the 2017 champion 3-year-old filly and Kentucky Oaks winner, and multiple stakes winner Eda, is part of the ‘’Road to the Kentucky Oaks’’ series. The winner of the Starlet will receive 10 points towards earning a berth in the 2025 Kentucky Oaks, which will be run next May 2 at Churchill Downs.
The 2024 renewal of the Los Alamitos Futurity will be the 11th run at the Orange County oval and past winners include Dortmund, Mastery, McKinzie and Practical Move. The Los Alamitos Futurity is part of the “Road to the Kentucky Derby’’ series. Ten points will be awarded to the winner towards earning a spot in the 2025 Kentucky Derby, which will be run next May 3.
For more information on nominations to these races, please call 714-820-2790.
TWO TURNS NO PROBLEM FOR MAN O ROSE, GELDING DOMINATES E.B. JOHNSTON
CYPRESS, Calif – Heading into the first turn of the $75,000 E.B. Johnston Stakes Saturday at Los Alamitos, jockey Edwin Maldonado had a good feeling the race was going to end well for him.
The all-time leader with 142 daytime thoroughbred wins, Maldonado was aboard Man O Rose, the 11-10 favorite in the one-mile race for California breds and it was the first venture beyond 6 ½ furlongs for the 4-year-old.
“He broke great and had his ears forward going into the first turn,’’ said Maldonado.
Providing owner-breeders Bruce and Beverly Zeitz and trainer Jeff Mullins with several options moving forward, Man On Rose dominated his six opponents, ultimately prevailing by eight lengths.
The win was the fifth in seven 2024 starts and his seventh in 12 lifetime appearances and the $42,000 payday pushed his earnings to $319,840.
Out of the Good Journey mare Kathleen Rose, Man O Rose completed eight furlongs in 1:35.52 and paid $4.20, $3 and $2.60.
Mullins said he had been waiting for the opportunity to stretch Man O Rose out and had considered doing it earlier this year in the Bertrando Stakes, which was run June 22 during the Los Angeles County Fair meet.
“We were told The Chosen Vron was going to run in the race, but then he ended up not running,’’ said Mullins. “We would have probably been in the Bertrando, but we were trying to avoid The Chosen Vron at the time.
“(Maldonado) said he threw his ears forward around the first turn and that’s a sign that he’s in cruise control. Once he makes the lead and he’s got his ears forward it’s going to take a pretty nice horse to get by him.
“We have a lot of options with him now and don’t forget he can run on the grass as well.’’
The gelding, who has won five of his last six races, is 3-for-7 on turf and was second in two of his defeats.
Dont Fight the Fed, the 7-1 fourth choice, completed the exacta, finishing two lengths in front of 7-2 third choice Coalinga Road. Dont Fight the Fed returned $5.60 and $3.80 while the show price on Coalinga Road was $3.
Cowboy Mike, the 7-2 second choice, Shortman, El Rey Dorado and Fast Draw Munnings completed the order of finish. Rhino was scratched.
Racing resumes Sunday at Los Alamitos. Post time is 1 p.m.
LOS ALAMITOS THOROUGHBRED MEET BROADCAST
TO INCLUDE GRAPHIC SHOWING PROJECTED CLOSING ODDS
The Los Alamitos Thoroughbred Meet will feature an informational graphic on the track’s simulcast broadcast showing projected closing odds for win wagers on selected races based on a mathematical calculation using Will Pays for that given race.
The graphic will be branded at Los Alamitos as the “In Play” Projected Closing Odds, and will be based on Will Pays, particularly Pick 3s and Pick 4s, which are thought to be reliable indicators of a horse’s actual closing odds. During its Thoroughbred Meet, the track will be showing these “In Play” projected closing odds starting with the third race on Friday’s opening day card. The “In Play” graphic will be available shortly after the previous race has been run.
“We’ll be offering these projected odds on our simulcast feed with an easy-to-read graphic,” said Orlando Gutierrez, the marketing director at Los Alamitos Race Course. “We feel that giving horse players more information is a plus and from there each bettor, individually, can determine whether this information is helpful to their handicapping and wagering practices."
The LACF Thoroughbred Meet will open on Friday, September 13. The first post each day will be at 1 p.m. For more information, please visit LosAlamitos.com.
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