Starlet, Futurity Top Los Al Winter Stakes Schedule

Four stakes for 2-year-olds, including a pair of graded races, highlight the upcoming Winter Thoroughbred meet at Los Alamitos Race Course. The season is scheduled to begin Friday, Dec. 3 and continue through Sunday, Dec. 12.

The $300,000-guaranteed Starlet (G1) for 2-year-old fillies will be renewed for the eighth time at Los Alamitos Saturday, Dec. 4, one week before the $200,000 Los Alamitos Futurity (G2). Won a year ago by the Bob Baffert-trained Varda , the Starlet, like the Futurity, will be contested at 1 1/16 miles.

Among the nominees to the Starlet are impressive TVG Del Mar Debutante (G1) winner Grace Adler , Del Mar Debutante runner-up Dance to the Music , Sorrento (G2) winner Elm Drive , and Sorrento second Eda .

Nominees for the Futurity, which was won a year ago by Spielberg , include Runhappy Del Mar Futurity (G1) winner Pinehurst , local Capote Stakes winner Enbarr , Best Pal (G2) winner Pappacap , and Rhetoric , a maiden who is out of multiple grade 1 winner Hard Not to Like .

The other two stakes for juveniles will be run at one mile and are ungraded. The $100,000 Soviet Problem for fillies will be offered Saturday, Dec. 11 while the $100,000 King Glorious will be run Sunday, Dec. 12. Both are for 2-year-olds bred or sired in California.

Completing the stakes schedule is the $100,000 Bayakoa Stakes (G3) for fillies and mares 3 years old and up at 1 1/16 miles. The Bayakoa will be run Sunday, Dec. 5.