Mor Spirit Clears Toews On Ice at Los Al
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Photo: Benoit Photo
Mor Spirit leaves Toews On Ice behind to win the Los Alamitos Futurity.
Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert added another Los Alamitos Futurity (gr. I) victory to his record Dec. 19, sending out winner Mor Spirit and runner-up Toews On Ice.
With an all-time eight wins in the race now hosted by Los Alamitos Race Course, formerly the CashCall Futurity at Hollywood Park, Baffert brought Mor Spirit in from a second-place finish in the 1 1/16-mile Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (gr. II) at Churchill Downs. Michael Lund Petersen's 2-year-old son of Eskendereya responded well to a run at the same distance in the Futurity, closing from sixth in the field of seven and going five wide around the far turn before closing strongly down the stretch under Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens.
Toews On Ice pressed the pace set by Frank Conversation as opening fractions went in :23.09 and 47.12, made his move through three-quarters in 1:11.53, and took over with a narrow advantage turning for home. But Mor Spirit was coming with a grinding run, and edged past Toews On Ice mid-stretch while running a 1:36.98 mile en route to a 1 1/4-length win.
"Gary knows how to ride this horse," Baffert said. "In the race at Churchill Downs I didn't want to take a chance of taking him back and getting mud kicked in his face, so we sent him up in there (to be part of the pace). I just told Gary today ride him like you usually do and let him sit and finish.
Mor Spirit carried on to finish in 1:43.54 on a fast track, returning $3.40, $2.40, and $2.10 at odds of 3-5.
"I'm super excited about this colt. He's already progressed since his maiden breaker, and he's going to just get better and better as the distance progresses," Stevens said. "I wouldn't have been surprised if we were sitting last early. He's very intelligent and he settled nicely for me. I just let him gallop until the eighth pole. He's really progressed since his first start and he's going to get better and better with more experience and distance. If they wanted to sprint him he's capable, but his forte is going to be the longer the better."
The Los Alamitos Futurity is worth 10 points to the winner on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, giving Mor Spirit 14 points toward a spot in the starting gate for the 2016 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I).
"I told Bob to bubble wrap him; it's Christmas-time right now," Stevens said. "We're a long ways away (from the Kentucky Derby), but you keep your fingers crossed they take every step the right way."
Toews On Ice paid $3.20 and $2.60 at odds of 5-2 under jockey Martin Garcia, while I'malreadythere held third ($3.80) after running close to the pace throughout. Completing the order of finish were Urlacher, Frank Conversation, Hollywood Don, and Sorryaboutnothing.
"(Toews On Ice) ran game," Baffert said. "The race shaped up different than I thought it would with (Frank Conversation) showing speed, but Martin didn't panic and just sat there. He rode a good race. He just got run down by a good horse.''
With the Futurity victory, Baffert became the all-time leading stakes-winning trainer at Los Alamitos.
"Turning for home it was a good feeling," he said. "I knew I was going to win the race, just didn't know with which one. This is the time of the year when you want to see something like this. It was a little disappointing when (Mor Spirit) got beat last time. It looks like we've got him figured out, so now we just can sit back and pick some spots for him."
Mor Spirit was bred in Kentucky by the Elkstone Group out of the Dixie Union mare Im a Dixie Girl, and was a $650,000 purchase by Petersen and Bernie Schiappa from the Wavertree Stables consignment at the 2015 Fasig-Tipton Florida select 2-year-olds in training sale. He went through the ring as a yearling as well, bringing $85,000 from Red Wings when consigned by Allied Bloodstock to the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall 2014 yearling sale. He improved his record to two wins and two seconds from four starts for earnings of $288,400.