Thousand Words stays perfect in Los Alamitos Futurity (G2)

Thousand Words gives Spendthrift its first Los Al Futurity winner since Into Mischief | Benoit photo

Albaugh Family Stables and Spendthrift Farm’ Thousand Words was headed in deep stretch by Anneau d’Or, but fought back gallantly to best his foe by a neck in the $200,000 Los Alamitos Futurity (G2) on Saturday afternoon.

The Futurity went to post with just four runners on the muddy racetrack. High Velocity, Baffert’s second entry, took the lead and led his stablemate through a quick half-mile of :45.87. The duo were still one-two when Anneau d’Or joined them on the outside. The latecomer put his head in front with less than a furlong to run, but Thousand Words retook the lead in the final strides, with High Velocity finishing third.

“Los Alamitos has the best surface and everybody’s happy to work here,” said Thousand Words’ trainer Bob Baffert. “To come here and win at my old stomping grounds is a big thing. Good to get a win like this with a colt like this, and I thought he was visually impressive today. I told [jockey Flavien] Prat before he ran that I thought I had found a good one for him for the [GI] Kentucky Derby next year.”

Thousand Words was purchased by his owners for $1 million at the 2018 Keeneland September Yearling sale. The son of Pioneerof the Nile Thousand Words’ is out of Pomeroys Pistol, who was a three-time graded stakes winner of $574,678.