The GII $350,000 Los Alamitos Derby

Bob Baffert and Martin Garcia teamed up last year to win the Los Alamitos Futurity with Dortmund (pictured above) and today they will be teaming up with Gimme Da Lute in the Los Alamitos Derby. Gimme Da Lute comes off a win in the Grade 3 Affirmed Stakes and is the third choice in the morning line at odds of 5-to-2.

Jerry Hollendorfer and Mike Smith won last year's edition of the Los Alamitos Derby with Shared Belief and this time they return with the impressive winner of the Grade 3 Laz Barrera at Santa Anita Park: Kentuckian. Although this will be Kentuckian's first try around two turns, he has been installed as the 6-to-5 morning line favorite based on his big win.

The other main contender in field is the talented Prospect Park who was last seen running second to Gimme Da Lute in the Affirmed. He gained a bit of buzz earlier in the year after a big win in an allowance at Santa Anita and later finishing second in the Grade 2 San Felipe. Tyler Baze will be aboard for the first time today. He is the second choice at odds of 8-to-5.

Follow Me Crew (20-1) was claimed for $50,000 last time out and Pain and Misery (15-1) who is a multiple stakes winner in New Mexico complete the field of the Los Alamitos Derby.


Today's Picks:

Race 1:  6-3-2

#6 Surfside Tiara arrives from a barn that does well with first time starters. Her sire Scat Daddy is a good win-early sire and she has been training locally. Her 5 furlong workout on May 28 from the gate with a fastest time of 58 seconds flat stands out.

Race 2:  6-5-8

#6 Swiss Heart has been running well at the top level during the night programs. She's got enough speed to stay close early on. She also ran well last year over this daytime surface.

Race 3:  8-3-5

#8 Mesa Sky has good breeding and has worked at the distance of the race. Her trainer does well with first time starters and her outside post should give her a clear run.

Race 4:  9-3-4

#9 Claudita showed good early speed at Santa Anita before tiring late. Takes a bit of a drop in class and looks like the main speed of the field.

Race 5:  4-1-2

#4 Eddie's First can be dangerous if he can get away cleanly. He was a nose away from winning a stakes over this track last year. He's got good speed and is capable of going to the lead or stalking the pace.

Race 6:  11-4-12

#11 Scatastic finished a good second in his debut but then finished a dull sixth in this following start. Trainer does well with limited starters and I think this colt still has more to show based on his debut.

Race 7:  8-9-5

#8 Class Divine was against too tough last time on the turf and now returns to the level of her best effort yet. She gets the slight nod from me in a tricky race.

Race 8:  5-4-2   The Grade 2 $350,000 Los Alamitos Derby

#5 Prospect Park ran a good effort in his first start sin April. He has plenty of experience going two turns and he has a couple of good workouts since his last effort. Kentuckian is talented but unproven at this distance and I think Gimme Da Lute is better at sprinting than going a route of ground.

Race 9:  4-3-1

#4 Aguacita has been running against tougher competition and has been given a break since her last start. Her only win to date was at this distance and apprentice Bryan Peña knows her well.