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‘Cross-Country Los Alamitos/Aqueduct Pick 4’ on Saturday features G1 Los Alamitos CashCall Futurity, G1 Starlet, Garland of Roses

by NYRA Press Office

A special cross-country Pick 4 will feature a trio of stakes races from Aqueduct Racetrack and Los Alamitos Race Course on Saturday, December 9.

Leading the stakes action for the Los Alamitos/Aqueduct Pick 4 are a pair of Grade 1s at Los Alamitos in Southern California. The $300,000 Los Alamitos CashCall Futurity for 2-year-old Kentucky Derby hopefuls will be featured as the third leg, carded as Race 3 with a scheduled post time 1:28 p.m. PT/4:28 ET, followed by the $300,000 Starlet for juvenile fillies in Race 4 (1:58 p.m. PT/4:58 ET), as the fourth and final leg of the sequence.

The Pick 4 will kick off in the Big Apple with Race 8 at Aqueduct, beginning with the $100,000 Garland of Roses for filly and mare sprinters (12:47 p.m. PT/3:47 ET). The sequence will continue in Race 9, a six-furlong maiden claiming race for 2-year-old New York-bred fillies (1:17 p.m. PT/4:17 ET), as the second leg.

The 32nd running of $100,000 Garland of Roses will feature a rematch of Absatootly and Quezon, who finished a respective first and second in the Iroquois on Empire Showcase Day, to lead a competitive field of seven.

The 1 1/16-mile Futurity, meanwhile, is headed by the Bob Baffert-trained duo of McKinzie and Solomini. The Hall of Famer will be seeking his 10th win overall in the race – which was formerly run at Hollywood Park (1981-2013) and his fourth in a row at Los Alamitos, having won previously with Dortmund (2014), Mor Spirit (2015) and Mastery last year. McKinzie, named for the late longtime Los Alamitos executive Brad McKinzie, was an impressive debut winner October 28, while Solomini was runner-up behind Good Magic in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile November 4 at Del Mar.

Baffert has an opportunity to become the first trainer to sweep the Futurity and Starlet, also at 1 1/16 miles, when he sends out leading Starlet contender Dream Tree, who is undefeated in two sprint starts. Both victories came by a nose, the latest in the Desi Arnaz Stakes three weeks ago at Del Mar. The last Starlet winner was Abel Tasman, who is favored to win the Eclipse Award as the nation’s Champion 3-Year-Old Filly in 2017.

As official prep races for the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks on May 4 and May 5, 2018, respectively, the Futurity and Starlet are each worth a total of 17 qualifying points, with 10 points awarded to the winner.

Los Alamitos will host the Cross-Country Los Alamitos/Aqueduct Pick 4, with a 50-cent minimum wager, available through NYRA Bets, which will offer a 10 percent winner’s bonus for the “XC Pick 4” up to $100, as well as on-track and at simulcast centers nationwide.