Mor Spirit Gives Baffert Record Eighth Win in Futurity

Mor Spirit won the Los Alamitos Futurity as the heavy favorite on Saturday under Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens. (Photo by Eclipse Sportswire)
By Claire Novak, @BH_CNovak
Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert added another Los Alamitos Futurity victory to his résumé, sending out both winner Mor Spirit and runner-up Toews On Ice on Saturday at Los Alamitos to extend his all-time record in the race.
Mor Spirit’s victory gave Baffert eight career wins in the Grade 1 race, which is now run at Los Alamitos but formerly was the CashCall Futurity run at Hollywood Park. 
Mor Spirit entered the Los Alamitos Futurity off a second-place finish in the 1 1/16-mile, Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes. Michael Lund Petersen’s 2-year-old Eskendereya colt responded well to a race at the same distance in the Futurity, rallying from sixth in the field of seven to prevail despite racing five wide around the final turn.
Toews On Ice pressed the pace set by Frank Conversation through an opening quarter-mile in :23.09 and a half-mile in :47.12 and made his move after three-quarters of a mile in 1:11.53. Toews On Ice took a narrow advantage turning for home, but Mor Spirit was closing with a steady run. He edged past Toews On Ice midstretch and finished powerfully to win by 1 ¼ lengths as the 7-10 favorite, completing 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.54 under Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens.
ROAD TO THE KENTUCKY DERBY LEADERBOARD
“He’s already progressed since his maiden breaker, and he’s going to just get better and better as the distance progresses,” Stevens said. “If they wanted to sprint him, he’s capable, but his forte is going to be the longer the better.
“I’m super excited and told Bob to bubble wrap him; it’s Christmas-time right now. We’re a long ways away [from the Kentucky Derby], but you keep your fingers crossed they take every step the right way.”
MOR SPIRIT TAKES CONTROL IN THE STRETCH

Photo by Eclipse Sportswire
Mor Spirit paid $3.40 to win, $2.40 to place and $2.10 to show.
Runner-up Toews On Ice finished six lengths clear of third-place finisher I’malreadythere with Urlacher another length back in fourth.
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.
Baffert won the Kentucky Derby in 2015 with American Pharoah, who went on to sweep the Triple Crown.
Toews On Ice paid $3.20 to place and $2.60 to show at odds of 5-2, while I'malreadythere held third ($3.80) after running close to the pace throughout.
With the Futurity win, Baffert became the all-time leading stakes-winning trainer at Los Alamitos.
Mor Spirit was bred in Kentucky by the Elkstone Group out of the Dixie Union mare Im a Dixie Girl. He was a $650,000 purchase at the 2015 Fasig-Tipton Florida sale of selected 2-year-olds in training.
For an Equibase chart, click here.
MOR ESPIRIT IN THE WINNER'S CIRCLE

Photo by Eclipse Sportswire