Los Alamitos Futurity 2023 Picks

By Jarrod Horak

The road to Kentucky Derby 2024 continues at Los Alamitos Race Course on Saturday, December 16, and I have included Los Alamitos Futurity 2023 picks below. The Grade 2 event for 2-year-olds has a $200,000 purse and the six entrants will be traveling 1 1/16 miles on the main track. It is the 9th race on Dec. 16 and the top five finishers will earn Kentucky Derby points (10-5-3-2-1). 

Los Alamitos Futurity 2023 Picks & Final Time Ratings 

Moonlit Sonata broke slow from an outer post and came rolling home from off the pace to capture his 6 1/2 furlong debut at Del Mar on Nov. 25. He was 33-1 in his bow and Tim Yakteen’s $75k son of Malibu Moon is bred to handle two turns. 

Wynstock is the first of three Bob Baffert trainees and the veteran conditioner has saddled the winner of this race a record 13 times. It was previously run as the Hollywood Futurity and CashCall Futurity at Hollywood Park. After that venue closed, it was moved to Los Alamitos in 2014, and Baffert trainees captured seven consecutive runnings (2014-2020). This $700k Solomini colt stretched out and cruised to a big victory at 13-1 odds under Kyle Frey on Oct. 13. He might be the one to catch. 

Stronghold showed ability right off the bat in a clear runner-up finish behind Awesome Road in his six panel bow at Ellis Park on Aug. 27. He stretched out to a mile and graduated in professional fashion at Churchill Downs second time out. He shipped to Del Mar and ran into buzzsaw Nysos in the Grade 3 Bob Hope Stakes at seven panels on Nov. 19, and he was clearly second best that day. He drilled a local bullet for this on Dec. 10 and Antonio Fresu got acquainted with Phil D’Amato’s Ghostzapper colt last time. 

Ace of Clubs looks overmatched in this spot. Doug O’Neill’s Mor Spirit colt won a pair of dirt sprints at Del Mar in August, and raced evenly in his last two turf route stakes starts. 

Coach Prime is a $1.7 million Quality Road colt for Bob Baffert. He landed the show from post 11 in his turf route bow at 10-1 odds. He switched to dirt second time out, and he rolled home as the favorite from off the pace in that flat mile affair at Del Mar on Nov. 10. He has worked twice for this event and Flavien Prat got to know him in his maiden victory. 

Wine Me Up is Bob Baffert’s final entrant and he should impact the pace from the outside post under Juan Hernandez. The $300k Vino Rosso colt wired the field in his six panel debut, and stretched out, set the pace, and was clearly second best behind his stablemate Muth in the Grade 1 American Pharoah Stakes second time out. He chased the pace and retreated in the BC Juvenile (G1) last time. He drilled a Santa Anita bullet on Dec. 10 and might bound back.   

Los Alamitos Futurity 2023 Picks

The Los Alamitos Futurity is the tenth race in my Kentucky Derby 2024 video series, and my top choices have two wins, two runner-up finishes, and a show finish. I will cover each points race on the road to the Derby. Check out my Los Alamitos Futurity 2023 picks video below.