Cornell or Wynstock, take your pick.
While five 3-year-olds are entered in Saturday’s $100,000 Los Alamitos Derby, the trainer of these two seems to have a lock on winning.
Wynstock. Benoit Photo.
Bob Baffert is the leading trainer in Los Alamitos Derby history
That would be Bob Baffert, looking to extend his Los Alamitos Derby winning streak to eight and his overall victories in the race to 14.
Trainer John Sadler, though, sends out the 7-5 morning-line favorite in Tapolo, winner of the 7-furlong Laz Barrera Stakes at Santa Anita on May 12.
The added distance is a concern as Tapolo ran fifth in the 1 1/8-mile Santa Anita Derby (G1) on April 6.
“That’s probably the distance for him (7 furlongs), but we think he can do other distances,’’ Sadler told the San Gabriel Valley Tribune this week. “I also just think he’s a 3-year-old on the upgrade.”
The New York-bred worked 5 furlongs in 1:00.20 at Santa Anita on June 23 and is 2-1-0 in four starts this year.
Cornell (2-1) may just be getting started. The gray son of Into Mischief broke his maiden at third asking in January, then finished third behind Tapolo in the Laz Barerra after an uneven effort.
However, the $675,000 colt worked a sharp 5 furlongs in 59.20 on June 22 at Santa Anita.
Wynstock, who won the Los Alamitos Futurity (G2) as a 2-year-old, is 0-for-3 since – last of 11 in the Southwest Stakes (G3), sixth in the Santa Anita Derby and last of six in the Desert Code Stakes on turf on May 19.
“My Los Alamitos horses are going to have to move forward,’’ Baffert said. “Wynstock likes the surface there but needs the lead to win.”
Wynstock, also a New York bred, is owned by Los Alamitos track owner Edward Allred and Jack Liebau, former Hollywood Park president and current vice-president at Los Alamitos.
For online horse racing bettors, we’re going with the home team:
The picks: 1 Wynstock 2 Tapolo 3 Cornell
The field for the $100,000 Los Alamitos Stakes, from the rail out, with jockey, trainer, odds:
1 Tapalo (Hector Berrios, John Sadler), 7-5
2 Cornell (Edwin Maldonado, Bob Baffert), 2-1
3 Wynstock (Kyle Frey, Bob Baffert), 3-1
4 Kamaina Cruiser (Abel Cedillo, O. J. Jauregui), 15-1
5 Curlin’s Kaos (Mario Gutierrez, Antonio Garcia), 9-2