12/9 (LRC): Futurity, Starlet (G1's)

[RolloTomasi]

Originally Posted by 10 pnt move up

10 horses in two grade 1 races, why even have them if no one is running.

its silly that these horseman dont even care about grade 1 races, they should be reduced to the point that there is real value in them.

Despite the paltry fields in the 3 runnings of each race at Los Alamitos, those races have been very productive and arguably worthy of their Grade 1 status (which makes the lack of participation all the more curious).

In the Futurity, in 2014, Dortmund and Firing Line ended up big players on the Derby trail and Triple Crown, though both their careers were ultimately derailed by injury. Mr. Z won the Ohio Derby. 2015 was won by Mor Spirit who went on to be a top miler this year. Turf horse Frank Conversation and minor stakes winning track record holder Toews On Ice also came from there. Last year, Mastery won and subsequently posted one of the fastest (if not the fastest) 3yo performances in 2017. The ill-fated Irap, who won multiple graded stakes throughout 2017, was runner-up.

In the Starlet, Take Charge Brandi capped her unanticipated championship campaign with a score in the 2014 running over subsequent turf filly Feathered. The 2016 exacta was likely 3yo champ Abel Tasman and arguably the top one-turn 3yo filly in American Gal, both Grade 1 winners this year.

As far as the 2yo division goes, that's pretty decent evidence that a top class race this late in the season is still warranted. That's in spite of the fact that the current trend for Triple Crown-minded connections in recent years has been to start their horses sparingly prior to the Kentucky Derby.