Quest For The Triple Crown: CashCall Futurity Analysis

The 29th CashCall Futurity (Grade I) at Hollywood Park is the last major stakes race of the year for two year old colts. The top three finishers from last year (Pioneerof the Nile, I Want Revenge, and Chocolate Candy) all became major players on the Triple Crown trail. This year should prove to be no different, since two of the runners (Lookin At Lucky and Noble's Promise) have already done enough to qualify for the Kentucky Derby.

Trainer Bob Baffert has won this race four previous times. There is little doubt in my mind that Lookin At Lucky will be his fifth CashCall Futurity winner.  Noble's Promise is the main competition for Lookin At Lucky. He'll run another big race here. However, there are two improving horses that could show up big today, and it's no surprise that both are trained by Bob Baffert.

Baffert sends out The Program who broke his maiden at Santa Anita on October 30th with a 81 Beyer speed figure. The Program then came back and ran second in a first level allowance race at Hollywood Park three weeks ago, earning a 83 Beyer speed figure for that effort. The Program has improved in all of his four career starts, and the CashCall Futurity looks to be his best effort to date.

The third Baffert runner is Marcello, who earned an 86 Beyer speed figure with a late second place finish in the Generous Stakes (Grade III) on turf at Hollywood Park on November 28th. Before that, Marcello won a first level allowance race at Hollywood that was taken off the turf and run on the main track.

2009 CashCall Futurity Field:

1. Lookin At Lucky 4/5 Last Out Beyer: 91
2. Brady Blue Eyes 30/1 Last Out Beyer: 71
3. The Program 12/1 Last Out Beyer: 83
4. Marcello 10/1 Last Out Beyer: 86
5. Make Music for Me 12/1 Last Out Beyer: 63
6. Noble's Promise 2/1 Last Out Beyer: 90
7. Seattle Ruler 20/1 Last Out Beyer: 80
8. Wildlee Special SCRATCHED

As you can see, Lookin At Lucky, Noble's Promise, Marcello, and The Program have the top 4 last out Beyer speed figures.

The Play: $10 Trifecta 1 with 3,4,6 with 3,4,6 = $60 Ticket