Smith Back to Ride Petruchio in Los Alamitos Futurity

The six horses entered in the $200,000 Los Alamitos Futurity (G2) Dec. 19 are all competing for the first time since the meet at Del Mar, as is one jockey: Hall of Famer Mike Smith.

Sidelined since Nov. 29 at Del Mar after testing positive for COVID-19 shortly before the start of the Los Alamitos Race Course meet that began this month, Smith plans to return Saturday. He tested negative Dec. 15, he said, clearing the way for a resumption of riding. He experienced mild symptoms of COVID-19 during his time away, primarily losing his sense of smell.

Smith, 55, is named aboard Petruchio in the Los Alamitos Futurity, in which the 2-year-old will be among the secondary betting choices behind likely favorite Red Flag, the winner of the Bob Hope Stakes (G3) at Del Mar.

Although many in the field are inexperienced at a route, Petruchio is proven around two turns. He broke his maiden in his fourth start when racing in a mile turf race Oct. 31 at Del Mar, stalking the pace and pulling away by 1 3/4 lengths under Smith.

Earlier efforts for Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella resulted in a runner-up finish in a mile grass race Oct. 4 at Santa Anita Park and a pair of thirds in main-track sprints at Del Mar over the summer for owners Perry and Ramona Bass.

"From what I hear about him, they thought a lot about him early on, but he was a bit of a renegade. He was ornery. They had to geld him, I believe," Smith said. "After doing so, he put all his ducks in a row and ran a bang-up race. That was pretty impressive. He won within himself and has come back and worked really well on the dirt."

A homebred, Petruchio has a dirt pedigree, being by Into Mischief —who won the 2007 Futurity on synthetic for Mandella—and out of the Distorted Humor  mare Satirical. The dam's lone victory in seven starts came in a 5 1/2-furlong dirt race for Mandella in 2014. Satirical—out of Rockcide, a half sister to Funny Cide—is a half sister to grade 2-winning dirt horse Rule and a full sister to grade 3-winning dirt horse Matrooh.

"The surface isn't going to be really that much of a worry for me," Smith said. "We've just got to be good enough to outrun 'em, that's all."

Red Flag has yet to race beyond seven furlongs, the distance of the Bob Hope, though he showed no signs of slowing over that distance. He romped by 7 1/4 lengths under Victor Espinoza.

The son of Tamarkuz  comes off a sparkling five-furlong workout at Santa Anita Park Dec. 13 in which he left his workmate, 11-race maiden Bristol Bayou, far behind.

Grade III Bob Hope Stakes winner Red Flag and Bristol Bayou worked 5 Furlongs @santaanitapark on December 13th, 2020, for trainer John Shirreffs. pic.twitter.com/Dio6kmTsBv

— XBTV (@WatchXBTV) December 13, 2020

Owned by Jerry and Tina Moss and trained by John Shirreffs, Red Flag was supplemented to the race for $7,500. He has won two of three starts and made $94,100.

Also in the field are Weston, Positivity, The Great One, and Spielberg, who bids to give trainer Bob Baffert his seventh consecutive victory in the Futurity. The race provides points on a 10-4-2-1 basis to the top four finishers as part of the Road to the Kentucky Derby series. 

Entries: Los Alamitos Futurity (G2)

LOS ALAMITOS RACE COURSE, Saturday, December 19, 2020, Race 4

• Grade II
• 1 1/16m
• Dirt
• $200,000
• 2 yo
• 1:28 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	Red Flag (KY)	Victor Espinoza	120	John A. Shirreffs	-
2	Petruchio (KY)	Mike E. Smith	120	Richard E. Mandella	-
3	The Great One (LA)	Abel Cedillo	120	Doug F. O'Neill	-
4	Weston (KY)	Tyler Baze	120	Ryan Hanson	-
5	Positivity (CA)	Drayden Van Dyke	120	Patrick Gallagher	-
6	Spielberg (KY)	Flavien Prat	120	Bob Baffert	-