UNDEFEATED MASTERY STRETCHES OUT IN GRADE I CASHCALL FUTURITY

By Robert Mieszerski —-

AMERICAN GAL, UNION STRIKE HEAD FIELD OF NINE IN GRADE I STARLET

CYPRESS, Calif. – Mastery, who is undefeated in two starts for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, will stretch out and step up in the $300,000-guaranteed Los Alamitos CashCall Futurity Saturday at Los Alamitos.

The race for 2-year-olds is part of a Grade I doubleheader on the third day of the Winter meet. The Futurity will be preceded by the $300,000-guaranteed Starlet for 2-year-old fillies. Both will be run at 1 1/16 miles.

Post time Saturday is 12:30 p.m. The Futurity is the sixth of nine races and has an approximate post time of 3 p.m. while the Starlet goes about one hour later as race eight.

Won previously by stars such as Snow Chief, A.P. Indy, Best Pal, Real Quiet, Point Given, Lookin At Lucky, Shared Belief and Dortmund, the CashCall Futurity is part of the “Road to the Kentucky Derby’’ series. Saturday’s winner will receive 10 points towards securing a spot in the starting gate May 6, 2017 at Churchill Downs.

The Starlet, whose past winners include Althea, Very Subtle, Goodbye Halo, Sardula, Serena’s Song, Surfside, Blind Luck and Take Charge Brandi, is part of the “Road to the Kentucky Oaks’’ series. The winner Saturday will receive 10 points towards earning a berth in the Kentucky Oaks next May 5 in Louisville.

There will also be a Los Alamitos holiday ornament giveaway – one per paid admission while supplies last.

Owned by Cheyenne Stables LLC, Mastery, a $425,000 purchase at the Keeneland September sale in 2015, defeated maidens by 4 ¼ lengths in his Oct. 22 debut at Santa Anita, then stretched out an eighth of a mile to win the Grade III Bob Hope by 1 ¼ lengths Nov. 19 at Del Mar, completing the seven furlongs in 1:23.32.

A son of Candy Ride and the Old Trieste mare Steady Course, Mastery has earned $91,200. He prepped for the CashCall Futurity with a 1:12.80 drill Nov. 30, the best of seven works at six furlongs that morning at Santa Anita.

Baffert, who has won both renewals of the Futurity at Los Alamitos – Dortmund (2014) and Mor Spirit a year ago to give him a record eight overall in a race that was previously run at Hollywood Park (1981-2013) – will also be represented Saturday by Show Me Da Lute.

Owned by breeders Karl Watson and Paul Weitman, the Midnight Lute colt was a first out winner at the Futurity distance Oct. 29. Out of the multiple graded stakes winning mare Tough Tiz’s Sis, Show Me Da Lute prevailed by nearly two lengths and banked $31,200.

Owned by Gary Hartunian’s Rockingham Ranch and trained by Peter Miller, who won the 2010 CashCall Futurity with Comma to the Top, Bobby Abu Dhabi was supplemented to the Futurity for $10,000 after a first out victory Nov. 19.

A Macho Uno colt out of the Saint Ballado mare Wallena, Bobby Abu Dhabi won by a head at 6 ½ furlongs two races after Mastery’s Bob Hope score, completing the distance in 1:17.10. The win was worth $31,200.

Trainer Doug O’Neill, who is looking for his first victory in the Futurity, will saddle Dangerfield and the maiden Irap, who was also supplemented for $10,000.

Owned by W.C. Racing and Zayat Stables LLC, the Into Mischief colt out of the Distorted Humor mare Amazingly is 1-for-5 with earnings of $147,480.

Dangerfield finished four lengths behind Hot Sean when third in the Delta Jackpot and his win came in the Oak Tree Juvenile Oct. 1 at Oak Tree/Pleasanton.

A Tiznow colt out of the Storm Cat mare Silken Cat, Irap will be trying dirt for the first time after finishing third and fourth in two races on turf at Santa Anita and Del Mar. Irap has earned $9,360 for Reddam Racing LLC.

From inside out, the field for the 36th Los Alamitos CashCall Futurity:
Dangerfield, Drayden Van Dyke rides, 120 pounds; Bobby Abu Dhabi, Norberto Arroyo, Jr., 120; Mastery, Mike Smith, 120; Show Me Da Lute, Martin Garcia, 120 and Irap, Mario Gutierrez, 120.

Baffert, who won the Starlet three times at Hollywood Park, will try for his first win in the race since Streaming prevailed in 2013 when he sends out American Gal and Fact of Life.

Hampered by a slow start and an extremely wide trip, American Gal was still able to run third in the Grade I Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Nov. 5, finishing four lengths behind upset winner Champagne Room as the lukewarm 4-1 favorite.

Owned by breeder Kaleem Shah Inc., the Concord Point filly out of the Ghostzapper mare American Story has won twice in three starts and banked $260,700.

A gray daughter of The Factor and the Tale of the Cat mare Mir Cat, Fact of Life has one win in three starts and earnings of $46,360 for Fog City Stable and Thomas VanMeter II.

Purchased for $260,000 at the Keeneland September sale in 2015, Fact of Life broke her maiden at Los Alamitos, winning a 5 ½ furlong race Sept. 8.

A Saturday sweep by Baffert of the CashCall Futurity and Starlet would be historic. No trainer has won both races in the same year.

Union Strike, who is being supplemented to the Starlet for $10,000, will be aiming for her second Grade I win of the year for Ruis Racing LLC.

Sixth in the BC Juvenile Fillies in her first start for trainer Craig Dollase, the daughter of Union Rags and the Smart Strike mare Classic Strike posted a 7-1 upset in the Del Mar Debutante Sept. 3 when conditioned by Shelbe Ruis.

A $375,000 purchase at the Ocala Breeders’ Sale in April, Union Strike has one win in three attempts and a bankroll of $212,600.

O’Neill will have three representatives – last out maiden winners Go On Mary and Sandy’s Surprise and Mopotism, who is winless in two starts.

Go On Mary, a Broken Vow filly out of the Bluegrass Cat mare Blue Orleans, scored as the 5-2 favorite going six furlongs Nov. 12 in her third race for McShane Racing LLC. She has earned $41,040.

Owned by a partnership that includes STD Racing Stable, John Fuller and Neil Haymes, Sandy’s Surprise graduated in her third start, winning by 2 ¾ lengths at the Starlet distance Nov. 3 at Santa Anita.
The victory increased the earnings of the daughter of Drosselmeyer and the More Than Ready mare Sandi’s Ready to $49,160.

Mopotism, who has finished fifth and second in a pair of sprints, the latest behind Go On Mary last month, is an Uncle Mo filly out of the Bernardini mare Peppy Rafaela. She’s collected $11,600 for Reddam Racing LLC.

Second at 1-5 odds in the Pike Place Dancer Oct. 29 at Golden Gate Fields, Tapped returns to dirt for breeder LNJ Foxwoods and Jerry Hollendorfer, who is aiming for his third win in the Starlet. The Hall of Famer won with Blind Lulck (2009) and Killer Graces (2011) at Hollywood Park.

The Tapit filly won by a nose in her Santa Anita debut Oct. 2, rallying from off the pace to beat next out graduate Jilly. Out of the Speightstown mare Gemswick Park, Tapped has earned $46,200.

Abel Tasman has won twice in a row for breeder Clearsky Farms and trainer Simon Callaghan.

The daughter of Quality Road and the Deputy Minister mare Vargas Girl finished fifth in her Aug. 20 debut before defeating maidens at one mile Sept. 30 at Santa Anita, then winning a seven-furlong allowance Nov. 18 at Del Mar. She has banked $67,860.

Purchased for $550,000 at the 2015 Keeneland September sale, Berned will be making her first start outside New York for Three C Stables, West Point Thoroughbreds and Robert Masiello.

The Bernardini filly out of the Giant’s Causeway mare First Passage is 1-for-3 with earnings of $101,600 for trainer Tom Albertrani. She finished second behind eventual repeater Miss Sky Warrior in the Grade III Tempted Nov. 5 at Aqueduct .

Like Union Strike, Berned, Abel Tasman and Tapped were all supplemented to the Starlet.

From inside out, the field for the 36th Starlet: Go On Mary, Drayden Van Dyke rides, 120 pounds; Union Strike, Gary Stevens, 120; Tapped, Kent Desormeaux, 120; Mopotism, Mario Gutierrez, 120; Sandy’s Surprise, Santiago Gonzalez, 120; Abel Tasman, Joe Talamo, 120; American Gal, Mike Smith, 120; Fact of Life, Stewart Elliott, 120 and Berned, Norberto Arroyo, Jr., 120.