Racing Roundtable: Los Alamitos Futurity, Springboard Mile, and Synthetic Championships

This week, the Racing Roundtable discusses a pair of Road to the Kentucky Derby (G1) prep races — the Los Alamitos Futurity (G2) and Springboard Mile — plus the inaugural Synthetic Championships at Turfway Park, what caught their eye from the weekend, and they wrap up with some end-of-year reflections on racing and wagering.

What were your takeaways from the Los Alamitos Futurity and Springboard Mile?

James Scully: Journalism made his stakes debut a winning one in the Los Alamitos Futurity (G1), launching his bid near the conclusion of the far turn and eventually drawing clear to a 3 1/2-length decision. Trained by Michael McCarthy, the Curlin colt has now won two straight, breaking his maiden the second time out when stretching to two turns, and Journalism received a fine 99 Brisnet Speed rating.

Gaming, who was exiting a win in the Del Mar Futurity (G1) and a runner-up in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1), came up empty as the 1-2 favorite, offering a brief challenge on the far turn before weakening to third. 

McCarthy won the 2021 Preakness (G1) with Rombauer and saddled his first Kentucky Derby starter in 2024, ninth-placer Endlessly. Journalism was bet down to 52-1 in Pool 2 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager off his Nov. 17 maiden win, and Curlin was the second-most backed individual sire, 12-1 in the lone Sire Future Wager for the 2025 Kentucky Derby.

Coal Battle notched his second consecutive stakes tally in the Springboard Mile, getting up to defeat pacesetter and 2-1 favorite Speed King by a half-length. An off-the-turf debut maiden winner at Evangeline Downs in late July, Coal Battle dropped his next two starts on turf before switching back to the main track with a 2 1/2-length win in the Nov, 8 Jean Lafitte at Delta Downs. The Kentucky-bred Coal Front colt is making good progress for Lonnie Briley.

Speed King, a frontrunning first-out winner at Churchill Downs in early November, ran well in defeat the second time out for Ron Moquett. The Springboard Mile hasn’t had a serious impact upon the Kentucky Derby yet, but 2022 runner-up Giant Mischief looks poised to be a major presence in the sprint division for Brad Cox in 2025.

Vance Hanson: I didn't find the Springboard Mile a compelling Derby prep. Coal Battle maintained his undefeated record on dirt winning by a half-length, and also showed his prowess over a fast track for the first time. But the Remington race traditionally isn't a great precursor to Derby success and I want to see more from him at stronger venues.

The story of the Los Al Futurity was the disappointing effort turned in by Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) runner-up Gaming, who failed to pick up at any point and finished a badly beaten third to Journalism, a nicely bred son of Curlin who is now 2-for-2 going a route of ground. I didn't find it necessarily better or worse than most of the Derby preps we've seen this season, and the Derby picture looks pretty wide open as we head into the winter.

Ashley Anderson: Journalism was the standout for me. The Curlin colt out of an Uncle Mo mare beat three Bob Baffert rivals, including heavily favored Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) runner-up Gaming, in the Los Alamitos Futurity (G2) and clocked a career-best 99 Brisnet Speed figure for his 3 1/2-length victory. The Mike McCarthy trainee is now 2-for-3 after making his debut in a six-furlong maiden special weight at Santa Anita on Oct. 27. He has progressed with each start and will be one to watch early next year along the Road to the Kentucky Derby (G1).

In the history of the Los Alamitos Futurity, six starters have gone on to win the Kentucky Derby — Gato Del Sol (1982), Ferdinand (1986), Alysheba (1987), Thunder Gulch (1995), Real Quiet (1998), and Giacomo (2005). Meanwhile, the Springboard Mile has yet to have a starter finish in the money in the Run for the Roses; although, the race has a short seven-year history as a Derby prep. The winner of Friday's Springboard Mile, Coal Battle, earned a career-high 91 BRIS figure when getting up late to best post-time favorite Speed King by half a length. The Coal Front two-year-old is 3-for-5 lifetime and raced on turf in his two losses back in the fall before switching back to dirt. The runner-up, Speed King, possesses stamina on his dam side and looked capable of improving following his stretch out to two turns on first try. He and Coal Battle could get a rematch in the Southwest (G3) at Oaklawn Park, where 2024 Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Mystik Dan got his first stakes win of his career.

What were your thoughts on the Synthetic Championships at Turfway?

JS: Claimed for $40,000 four starts previously, Paros stretched his win streak to five with a determined head triumph in the Prairie Bayou S., completing 1 1/16 miles in a track record 1:42.22 over the Tapeta. The four-year-old gelding has turned out to be another successful claim for Mike Maker, earning more than $280,000 from three starts for new connections, and the Prairie Bayou marked his first stakes attempt in 17 career starts. The improving gray has won five of eight turf starts, so turf stakes will be an option in 2025.

Dreden Row offered a good run for second in his first start outside of Woodbine, missing by a head after a troubled trip in which he was cut off badly by Noises Off entering the first turn. A two-time stakes winner, the three-year-old colt came on in recent months for Lorne Richards and rates as a candidate to keep showing more next season.

Howard Wolowitz concluded his sophomore season on a good note, overcoming a poor start to win the six-furlong Holiday Cheer by 1 1/2 lengths. Winner of the Franklin Simpson (G1) two starts previously in his first graded attempt, the Munnings colt rebounded from a ninth in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1). His connections opted for the Turf Sprint, but Howard Wolowitz will be aiming for premiere turf events at a mile or 1 1/16 miles next season.

Hall of Famer Wise Dan finished sixth in the 2010 Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) as a three-year-old; he went on to win 11 Grade 1 events over the next three seasons, including consecutive editions of the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1).

VH: Howard Wolowitz's win in the Holiday Cheer was the standout performance of the evening. Although one can quibble about the grade inflation affecting the Franklin-Simpson (G1), which he won over the Kentucky Downs turf two back, there's no debating that Howard Wolowitz turned in a Grade 1 type performance in the Holiday Cheer, as he sped six furlongs in 1:08.10, missing the track record by less than one-tenth of a second.

With Cogburn now in retirement, there is room for Howard Wolowitz to make an impact in the turf sprint division next season. He was beaten only three lengths in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1) last month after conceding much seasoning to his opponents, and he should only get better.

The entire Synthetics Championships card was a tremendous success. Handle on the card was around $6.18 million, third best in the country on Saturday behind Gulfstream and Aqueduct, and it easily beat out major winter signals like Oaklawn, Fair Grounds, and Tampa Bay Downs. Year-over-year, Turfway's handle was up over 80% after handling $3.4 million on the corresponding card in 2023. This event will continue to grow.

AA: Mike Maker and Luis Saez paired up to win three races at Turfway on Saturday, including both two-turn stakes with Dana's Beauty in the My Charmer S. and Paros in the Prairie Bayou S., where Paros set a new track record for 1 1/16 miles, crossing the finish line in 1:42.22. Both Paros and Dana's Beauty transferred to Maker's barn this season and respectively topped the ranks for winning speed ratings for three-year-old and up dirt routes in Kentucky last week. Maker's other winner under Saez was Race Craft, who was claimed by Maker out of a race at Gulfstream in December 2022. The Street Sense gelding secured his 12th win from 43 lifetime starts on Saturday and improved his 2024 record to 3-for-5.

Outside of Maker's success, Franklin-Simpson (G1) victor Howard Wolowitz nearly set his own track record in the Holiday Cheer S. when he crossed the wire in 1:08.10, only 0.07 seconds off the track mark of 1:08.03 established by Fatal Bullet in 2008. The victory handed him his third from six lifetime starts, and he recorded his second triple-digit Speed figure in the effort. The other sprint stakes, the Holiday Inaugural, saw 37-1 longshot Awesome Treat draw clear to prevail by 2 3/4 lengths over 34-1 Bling. It was the six-year-old mare's fourth win from 11 starts in 2024.

What else caught your eye from the weekend?

JS: A pair of two-year-olds by 2016 Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Nyquist, Broduer and Vassimo, caught the eye breaking their maiden at Oaklawn and Gulfstream Park on Saturday. Nyquist, who closed at 42-1 in the recent Sire Future Wager pool, has yet to make a serious impact upon the Triple Crown, but he did produce a couple of talented three-year-olds in 2024, unbeaten Robert B. Lewis (G3) winner Nysos and Lexington (G3) scorer Encino, who were both unfortunately sidelined prior to the classics.

Brodeur didn’t break sharply when making his career debut at Churchill Downs on Nov. 16 and chased the pace before weakening to sixth behind impressive second-out winner Guns Loaded, who I bet at 72-1 in the recent Pool 2 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager. On Saturday, Brodeur showed good speed from the gate, set a pressured pace over a muddy track before facing a serious off-the-pace challenge from 11-10 favorite El Prestigio, who had finished second to Donut God and Ferocious in recent starts. Broduer dug in courageously and outgamed his well-regarded rival to wire, prevailing by a head and receiving an 89 Brisnet Speed rating in the six-furlong event.

Vassimo, a $120,000 yearling purchase trained by Todd Pletcher, closely tracked the pace before making his move on the far turn, turned back a serious bid from favored Rapture at the top of the stretch, and won comfortably by a length at a one-turn mile. Off as the 2.30-1 second choice in his career debut, the well-built colt netted an 88 Speed rating and appears to have a bright future.

Rapture also appears promising for Brad Cox. The $300,000 Uncle Mo yearling didn’t break sharply in his first career start from the rail post and will gain plenty seasoning from the experience.

VH: We lost a couple of classic winners this past week. Lemon Drop Kid, the 1999 Belmont S. (G1) winner, was 28, while 2017 Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Always Dreaming succumbed prematurely at the age of 10 due to complications from colic.

Lemon Drop Kid was a solid racehorse, winning 10 of 24 starts and more than $3.2 million. He won the Futurity (G1) at two and upset the Belmont at 29-1 over Triple Crown aspirant Charismatic. He later added the Travers (G1). At four, a four-race win streak that included the Brooklyn H. (G2), Suburban H. (G2), Whitney H. (G1, and Woodward (G1) propelled him to champion older male honors. As was the case the previous two years, though, he was over the top by the time the Breeders' Cup rolled around.

As a sire, Lemon Drop Kid excelled with turf runners, no surprise as a grandson of the legendary French mare Miesque. But he also got Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner Lemons Forever, who became Broodmare of the Year after producing champion mare Forever Unbridled and Grade 1 winner Unbridled Forever. He was also the damsire of filly sprint champion Finest City, among others.

Always Dreaming was the best three-year-old in America for about seven weeks in the spring of 2017, when he captured the Florida Derby (G1) and Kentucky Derby, the latter as a lukewarm favorite over a wet track. The rest of his racing career didn't pan out, but it's still tough to lose a winner of America's most celebrated race so soon.

AA: Louisiana-bred Star Guitar gelding Touchuponastar made it look easy when he wired the field by 5 1/4 lengths in the 1 1/8-mile Louisiana Champions Day Classic to score his third straight victory in the stakes event. Owned by Jake Delhomme's Set-Hut LLC and trained by Delhomme's brother Jeff, Touchuponastar also earned millionaire status with the win — his third from six starts in 2024 — when he collected the $90,000 winner's share of the purse. The five-year-old kicked off his campaign with a 6 3/4-length triumph in the 1 1/16-mile LA Bred Premier Championship S. in February at Delta Downs, then stretched back out to 1 1/8 miles in the New Orleans Classic (G2) and was overtaken by Red Route One to finish second at Fair Grounds. He bounced back with a commanding 5 3/4-length win in the state-restricted EVD Classic S. at Delta Downs in May before getting outfinished by a quarter-length in the Steve Sexton Mile (G3). Touchuponastar got a break after that and returned off a nearly six-month layoff with a third in the Delta Mile at Delta Downs. His second start back off a break, the $15,000 purchase succeeded once again to close out his season on top at Fair Grounds in a race that was never in question.

Any year-end reflections or New Year's resolutions on your picks/wagering?

JS: Better strategy for big racing days. Thoroughbred racing features many stakes-packed, long days of racing, and wagering strategy matters.

VH: My wagering resolutions for 2025 are still fluid, but I'll be transparent and say 2024 has been a very difficult year. My profits from 2023 weren't entirely erased this year, but it was close, and at no point did I gain much in the way of traction. I was especially disappointed with my results betting the English flat season after a couple successful years. But I'll focus on that again in 2025 and try to incorporate more wagering on French racing, which TwinSpires.com picked up this season. Domestically, I'll focus more on multi-race wagers like Doubles and Pick 3s and scale back a bit on win wagering.

AA: Going into 2025, I plan to be more disciplined with my wagering. I have a tendency to go big when I should play more conservative and had a number of misses on exotics, where I had the winner but whiffed underneath. A simple win bet would have paid off but I tried to go for the bigger payout with an exacta or trifecta. I also resolve to listen to my gut more and not let outside opinions sway my own. For the most part, I will stay true to my own opinions, but there were a few times I let other handicappers get into my head about a certain horse only to find my gut instinct was correct, but my wagering ended up being skewed by the other opinions. (There were also enough times the other opinions were correct.) But sticking to your gut is often the best play, and I intend to do so more often in the new year.