Thousand Words Impresses in Los Alamitos Futurity
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Photo: Benoit Photo
Thousand Words turns back Anneau d'Or to win the Los Alamitos Futurity at Los Alamitos
The connections of Thousand Words needed only one word to describe his budding career at the conclusion of the Dec. 7 $200,000 Los Alamitos Futurity (G2) at Los Alamitos Race Course:
Undefeated.
The Florida-bred son of Pioneerof the Nile, who won the same race as a 2-year-old in 2008 when it was run at Hollywood Park, has so far justified his $1 million price tag with two wins in two starts for Albaugh Family Stable and Spendthrift Farm. But it took all of the colt's considerable talents to claim the victory Saturday and earn 10 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby.
Partnered with Flavien Prat, who was aboard for his maiden win Oct. 26 at Santa Anita Park, Thousand Words, one of two Bob Baffert-trained horses in the four-horse field, broke a touch slow from the gate on a good (sealed) dirt track. Stablemate High Velocity sprang into action under Drayden Van Dyke and angled in quickly to take the lead on the rail. Thousand Words kept within striking range and pressed the pace just inside the five-eighths pole as the half-mile went in :45.87.
Anneau d'Or and Wrecking Crew tracked the dueling pair closely along the backside, and the foursome were in a compact formation coming off the turn. Thousand Words got his neck in front of High Velocity nearing the top of the stretch as Anneau d'Or made a wide move coming off the turn to challenge.
High Velocity and Thousand Words continued to battle through midstretch as Anneau d'Or went widest of all in an attempt to run down the leaders. Guided inward by Juan Hernandez, Anneau d'Or moved up alongside Thousand Words, and the pair trudged toward the wire, leaving High Velocity in their wake.
Thousand Words dug deep to turn back Anneau d'Or at the wire and score his first black-type victory. The final time for 1 1/16 miles was 1:43.19.
"They went a little bit quick early—both of them," Baffert said. "Turning for home, I thought I was going to run 1-2. I was watching (Anneau d'Or), who is a really good horse. Then (Thousand Words) came down, and it looked like (Anneau d'Or) would gobble us up at the end."
High Velocity held for third, five lengths behind Anneau d'Or. Wrecking Crew was eased in the stretch.
"Prat did a great job. He brought him out and showed him the other horse," Baffert said. "I had a lot of blinker on today, probably too much blinker, but when he saw the other horse, he kicked back in gear, came back, and handled it really well. That's pretty impressive for second time out to run that way and run that well."
Bred in Florida by Hardacre Farm, Thousand Words is out of the Pomeroy mare Pomeroys Pistol, a multiple graded stakes winner who was grade 1 placed. The mare produced a Hard Spun colt April 12 and was bred to Arrogate for 2020.
Thousand Words is a Brookdale Sales graduate, and brought his six-figure sum at the 2018 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. He has earned $151,000.