Defunded, Classier Top Short Los Alamitos Derby Field

Although three of the top 3-year-olds in North America—Hot Rod Charlie , Medina Spirit , and Rombauer —are based in Southern California, none compete in the $150,000 Los Alamitos Derby (G3) July 4.

With its purse overshadowed by richer stakes elsewhere this summer, the 1 1/8-mile dirt race for 3-year-olds at Los Alamitos Race Course could only draw five lesser sophomores. Pushed back from its original date of July 3 when it initially failed to attract sufficient entries, the Los Alamitos Derby field is led by Defunded  and Classier , 2-3 in the Affirmed Stakes (G3) at Santa Anita Park June 13.

The winner of the Affirmed, The Chosen Vron , is not among the entrants for the Los Alamitos Derby, nor was he and Hot Rod Charlie, Medina Spirit, and Rombauer even nominated. The Chosen Vron is expected to race July 30 in the $175,000 Real Good Deal Stakes vs. California-breds at Del Mar.

Mike Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman's Defunded picked up black type for the first time in the Affirmed with his runner-up finish in which he lost by a length and a quarter. Well-positioned under Abel Cedillo, he took command from a longshot pacesetter after six furlongs but could not outlast The Chosen Vron late.

That race from Defunded followed fourth-place finishes in the May 1 Pat Day Mile Stakes Presented by LG&E and KU (G2) and the April 3 RUNHAPPY Santa Anita Derby (G1) after he had broken his maiden in his second start.

The chestnut Dialed In   colt came under pressure from his rider to finish on even terms with his grade 2-placed workmate Freedom Fighter  in a 1:00 1/5 workout June 27 at Santa Anita.

Bob Baffert, a 10-time winner of the Los Alamitos Derby, including the last four years, trains Defunded and Classier. Through June 30, Baffert was 0-1-2 with four starters at the Los Alamitos Thoroughbred meet.

Classier, owned by the partnership of SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Golconda Stables, Siena Farm, and Robert Masterson, finished a distant third in the Affirmed, 11 lengths behind runner-up Defunded. Classier stumbled at the break.

That Affirmed was his first race since an eighth-place finish in the TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile Presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (G1) Nov. 6 at Keeneland. Before that start, he had won a maiden race in his only other at Santa Anita Oct. 24.

Mike Smith rides Classier while Cedillo returns on Defunded.

The lone stakes winner in the Los Alamitos Derby is Doug Gans, Gary Jacobs, Larry Katz, and Kevin Riggs It's My House . The Bob Hess Jr. trainee won the Turf Paradise Derby March 12 before outrun over sloppy tracks in the Stonestreet Lexington Stakes (G3) April 10 at Keeneland and the Texas Derby at Lone Star Park May 31.

Rounding out the five-horse lineup are Clarke M. Cooper Family Trust, Mia Familia Racing Stable, and Wade Jacobsen's Back Ring Luck , and Grant Alvernaz and Steve Ribeiro's Ingest .

Positioned early on the holiday card, the Los Alamitos Derby is the fourth of nine races at 2:28 p.m. PT.

Entries: Los Alamitos Derby (G3)

LOS ALAMITOS RACE COURSE, Sunday, July 04, 2021, Race 4

• Grade III
• 1 1/8m
• Dirt
• $150,000
• 3 yo
• 2:28 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	Classier (KY)	Mike E. Smith	122	Bob Baffert	-
2	It's My House (FL)	Edwin A. Maldonado	122	Robert B. Hess, Jr.	-
3	Defunded (KY)	Abel Cedillo	122	Bob Baffert	-
4	Back Ring Luck (KY)	Tyler Baze	122	John W. Sadler	-
5	Ingest (CA)	Juan J. Hernandez	122	Doug F. O'Neill	-