Weekend Stakes Rundown: Los Al Gets Spotlight

Each week BloodHorse.com looks forward to the weekend's biggest races. Consider this your weekly guide to the best stakes races in North America. This week we have grade I races at Los Alamitos Race Course, key 2-year-old contests at Gulfstream Park and Laurel Park, and more. Races are listed in chronological order (all times Eastern) and full previews can be found through the hyperlink for each race.

Saturday, Dec. 10

12:30 p.m.—$75,000 House Party Stakes at Gulfstream Park

Undefeated stakes winner Bode's Dream is set for a return to Gulfstream and a return to racing action off a sixth-month layoff. Bode's Dream showed an affinity for the Gulfstream surface May 11, when she rolled to a 3 3/4-length debut victory going 4 1/2 furlongs. The Kentucky-bred filly came right back a month later to show the way throughout the 5 1/2 furlongs of the Astoria Stakes at Belmont Park to score by 2 3/4 lengths.

3 p.m.—$100,000 Maryland Juvenile Filly Championship at Laurel Park

The Juvenile Filly Championship appears open, with consideration pointing toward recent maiden winner Lucky in Malibu, Maryland Million Lassie Stakes winner Item, and Crabcakes, who wheels back quickly after a five-length score in her Dec. 3 debut at Penn National.

3:43 p.m.—$125,000 Garland of Roses Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack

Vincent Scuderi's multiple graded stakes winner Paulassilverlining is set to make her first start since finishing third in the Nov. 5 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (gr. I). Trained by Michelle Nevin, the daughter of Ghostzapper   boasts a 7-4-3 record in 17 stakes starts, including victories in 2016 in the Gallant Bloom Handicap (gr. II) and Distaff Handicap (gr. III).

4:30 p.m.—$100,000 Maryland Juvenile Futurity at Laurel Park

Greatbullsoffire, owned by Kathleen Willier and trained by Hamilton Smith, won Laurel's Maryland Million Nursery Stakes in late October and finished third as the 11-10 choice in the Christopher Elser Memorial Stakes last time out at Parx Racing. The winner that day, O Dionysus, a son of Bernardini  , is also entered in the seven-furlong test.

5:21 p.m.—$150,000 Louisiana Champions Day Classic at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots

Having already carved out his own niche as a local legend, Brittlyn Stable's homebred Sunbean will aim to equal one of the state's all-time greats when he makes his expected start in the Dec. 10 Louisiana Champions Day Classic. Sunbean, winner of the 2013 and 2014 editions of the Classic, looks to join Brittlyn Stable's other legend, Star Guitar  , as the only three-time victor of the marquee event for state-breds.

5:58 p.m.—Los Alamitos Cash Call Futurity (gr. I) at Los Alamitos Race Course

Favored Mastery, a 2-year-old Candy Ride   colt, won his October debut at Santa Anita Park by 4 1/4 lengths, then scored a hand-ridden victory in the Nov. 19 Bob Hope (gr. III) at Del Mar last time out. The rest of the five-colt field lacks the visually impressive punch Mastery has displayed, but potential upsetters loom in debut winners Bobby Abu Dhabi and Show Me Da Lute.

6:58 p.m.—Starlet Stakes (gr. I) at Los Alamitos Race Course

Two high-quality horses who had less-than-ideal trips during the Nov. 5 14 Hands Winery Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (gr. I) will return to the track. American Gal, third in the Juvenile Fillies, raced widest of all and still ran on well to finish third, while Del Mar Debutante (gr. I) winner Union Strike experienced one of the worst starts in the field of 12 and was very rank running behind horses early.

Sunday, Dec. 11

8:45 p.m.—Remington Springboard Mile at Remington Park

A pair of 2-year-olds who already have open stakes victories over the Remington surface in U S Officer and Cool Arrow will face one another. After finishing seventh in the Kip Deville Stakes Sept. 25 at Remington won by Cool Arrow, U S Officer bounced back with two straight wins, including a 2 1/2-length score over Divine Kaleb in the Clever Trevor Stakes Nov. 4.