Futurity Looks Bright For Toews On Ice

Seven freshman males will get their final chance of the year for grade I laurels when they face off Dec. 19 in the $350,000 Los Alamitos Futurity going 1 1/16 miles. All runners will tote 121 pounds.

Toews On Ice is the likely favorite due to connections and accomplishments. Named for Chicago Black Hawks forward Jonathan Toews, the colt has won three stakes events in a row for trainer Bob Baffert, who will be seeking a record eighth victory in the race, which was previously known as the Hollywood Futurity and then the CashCall Futurity.

Toews On Ice most recently prevailed in the Bob Hope Stakes (gr. III) in November at Del Mar and has also won the Speakeasy Stakes and Barretts Juvenile by open lengths. The only question left to answer is whether he can carry his speed two turns.

Hollywood Don returns to the main track after running unplaced in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (gr. IT). Before that he finished third behind Nyquist and Swipe in the Frontrunner Stakes (gr. I) and won the Del Mar Juvenile Turf prior to that. The tracker should get pace to run into here.

Baffert also sends out Mor Spirit, who ran second in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (gr. II) as the favorite. That two-turn experience and his mile maiden-breaking victory will serve him in good stead. Frank Conversation must prove he can take to the main track, where he ran poorly in his career debut. Shifted to turf, he broke his maiden at Santa Anita and ran a good third in the Cecil B. Demille (gr. IIIT).

Urlacher and Sorryaboutnothing finished within a neck of one another in a maiden tilt going a mile Nov. 15. Urlacher held at the wire, but was disqualified after drifting out in the stretch. So he remains a maiden while Sorryaboutnothing goes for his second straight victory here.

I'malreadythere has also done his best running on the turf, finishing a close second in the Zuma Beach and third behind Hollywood Don in the Del Mar Juvenile turf. He was most recently beaten 4 ½ lengths by Toews On Ice in the Bob Hope.

The Futurity has a rich history, having been won by A.P. Indy, Snow Chief, Best Pal, Real Quiet, Point Given  , Lookin At Lucky  , Shared Belief, and a year ago by Dortmund.