BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Purple Rein Racing and Mark D. Davis’ Acknowledgemeplz will try to become the first Florida-bred since Thousand Words in 2019 to win the Grade 2 Los Alamitos Futurity, a mile-and-one-sixteenth affair at Los Alamitos Race Course Saturday. Six 2-year-olds vie for the winner’s share of the $200,000 purse and 11 qualifying points offered for the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) leaderboard.
The Derby points allocated to the top four finishers on a 5-3-2-1 schedule. The 152nd running of the $5 million Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (GI) is scheduled for Saturday, May 2, 2026.
Acknowledgemeplz enters the Los Alamitos Futurity after winning his second start, a six-and-a-half-furlong maiden special weight at Santa Anita on Oct. 25 for trainer Doug O’Neil. The chestnut son of Bucchero led from the start from post one to win by three-quarters of a length ahead of runner-up and Los Alamitos Futurity entrant Blacksmith. He finished in 1:15.72 on the fast track to earn a 93 Beyer Speed Figure, which is second best in the field behind only the 95 Beyer earned by Litmus Test when fourth in the FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Juvenile presented by TAA (G1) at Del Mar on Oct. 31.
Acknowledgemeplz was second in his first try in a six-furlong maiden special weight at Del Mar on June 13, finishing two-and-a-quarter lengths behind next out Best Pal (G3)-winner Desert Gate.
Out of the Florida-bred Yes It’s True mare Starship Fantasy, a half-sister to Florida-bred stakes winners Dude Fantasy, Dixie Dreamer and Dixie High and a half-sister to Florida-bred stakes-placed Dixieland Dudes, Acknowledgemeplz was bred in Florida by Helen and Joseph Barbazon.
Davis and Purple Rein Racing purchased Acknowledgemeplz for $75,000 out of the Blue River Bloodstock consignment at this year’s Ocala Breeders’ Sales March Sale of 2-year-olds in training. He has earned $48,000 in his two starts.
Armando Ayuso will ride Acknowledgemeplz for the first time and they have post one. They are 7-2 on the morning line.
Litmus Test is the 4-5 morning line favorite for trainer Bob Baffert, who looks for his 15th victory in the Los Alamitos Futurity.
Prior to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, Litmus Test had won a five-and-a-half-furlong maiden special weight in his first start at Del Mar in August but was winless in two other attempts in stakes. He was fourth in the Del Mar Futurity on Sept. 7 and third in the Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland on Oct. 4.
Litmus Test is owned by SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Stonestreet Stables LLC, Dianne Bashor, Determined Stables, Goloconda Stable, Waves Edges Capital LLC and Catherine Donovan for whom he has earned $230,188.
SF Racing, Starlight Racing and Madaket Stable paid $875,000 for Litmus Test at the 2024 Fasig-Tipton New York Saratoga Yearling Sale. He is by Nyquist out of the Malibu Moon mare Study Hard, a full sister to multiple graded stakes-winner Sweet August Moon.
Juan Hernadez will ride Litmus Test for the first time and they will break from post three.
Also set for the Los Alamitos Futurity are Provenance and jockey Kyle Frey, Kazushi Kimura will ride Blacksmith, American King will have Geovanni Franco up and Hector Berrios will guide Captivator.
Return to the December 12 issue of Wire to Wire
