Bob Baffert posted a 1-2-3 finish in the Los Alamitos Futurity, notching his 15th victory in the race

Litmus Test headed the barn’s trifecta, underlining Baffert’s absolute dominance of the G2 and of the Los Alamitos season

Litmus Test finished with authority / BENOIT PHOTO

CYPRESS, California (Special to Turf Diario).- With graded stakes experience already on his résumé and carrying the unmistakable Bob Baffert stamp, Litmus Test did exactly what was expected of him, delivering a polished victory in Saturday’s Los Alamitos Futurity (GII) over 1700 meters. The 1 1/4-length success not only confirmed his status as the heavy favorite, but also allowed the Hall of Fame conditioner to post a commanding 1-2-3 finish, completed by Blacksmith (Liam’s Map) and Provenance (Into Mischief).

A son of Nyquist out of Study Hard (Malibu Moon), Litmus Test was the lone runner in the field with prior graded stakes credentials and arrived off a solid juvenile campaign that included a fourth-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (GI). He reaffirmed that class at Los Alamitos, fully justifying the confidence of the betting public.

Provenance set the pace through fractions of :23.26, :46.67, and 1:10.43, while Juan J. Hernandez kept Litmus Testcomfortably tucked away in second, saving ground along the rail. “He broke a step slow, but he relaxed right away and we were able to save ground into the first turn,” the rider explained.

Asked to quicken on the far turn, Litmus Test responded willingly, drawing alongside and then edging past his stablemate before asserting control in the stretch. Still a touch green late, he swapped leads on cue and held safely from the rallying Blacksmith, with Provenance settling for third. The final time was 1:42.38.

“He was in a good spot the whole way,” said Baffert. “He’s still learning, but the farther he goes, the better he seems to be. He really liked this track and just kept on going.”

The victory earned Litmus Test 10 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, bringing his total to 19 and moving him into second place on the leaderboard, behind Ted Noffey (Into Mischief). Points were awarded through fifth place on a 5-3-2-1 scale.

Bred in Kentucky by Machmer Hall and purchased for $875,000 by SF Racing, Starlight Racing, and Madaket Stablesat the 2024 Saratoga Sale, Litmus Test further cemented his status as one of the leading prospects of the 2023 crop. Meanwhile, Nyquist, the champion juvenile of 2015 and a cornerstone stallion at Darley, continues to make his presence felt on the road to Louisville.