By Jill Williams
When the GII Los Alamitos Futurity–formerly the Hollywood Futurity, which was also known for a time as the CashCall Futurity–was renamed in 2014, perhaps it should have been labeled as the Bob Baffert Futurity, as the Hall of Famer has now won the race a record 15 times since 1997, including seven straight from 2014 to 2020. To put an exclamation point on his domination in the race, the silver-haired trainer finished one-two-three Saturday, with 3-5 choice Litmus Test (c, 2, Nyquist–Study Hard, by Malibu Moon) bringing home a Baffert trifecta in front of a closing Blacksmith (Liam's Map) and 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' Provenance (Into Mischief).
Even with the favorite winning Saturday's event in Cypress as expected, the race wasn't without drama as Acknowledgemeplz (Bucchero) lugged out badly early on the clubhouse turn, hurting the chances of both American King (American Phaorah) and Captivator (Charlatan) as he floated those two extremely wide. Provenance, a Spendthrift homebred son of multiple champion and $9.5-million broodmare Monomoy Girl (Tapizar), had already taken up residence on the lead, but when his rivals blew the turn, it made his path a little easier as he showed the way unbothered through :23.26 and :46.67 fractions. Meanwhile, Litmus Test, looking like a powerhouse just waiting to be asked with neck neatly bowed, got a perfect stalking trip behind his stablemate. Acknowledgemeplz recovered to track from the outside in third with Blacksmith–a highly regarded maiden–moving easily to his inside.
Even as jockey Juan Hernandez on Litmus Test sat chilly, the pair pulled alongside Provenance on the final turn. The classy Provenance gave him a fight, but Litmus Test prevailed after several strides, kicking well clear as Blacksmith came flying late to get within 1 1/4 lengths of him at the finish. It was 3 1/2 lengths back to Provenance, who was a resounding 11 1/2 lengths in front of Acknowledgemeplz. Captivator, who was not only floated wide on that first turn but also stumbled out of the gate, was eased in the stretch after he tired, but walked off on his own accord.
Litmus Test earned 10 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby with the win. He got the 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.38, more than a full second faster than eventual MGISW Journalism (Curlin)'s time in his victory in the race last year.
“Down the backside [Litmus Test] looked like he was traveling easy,” said Baffert. “Juan [Hernandez] said the farther the better for him. He loves his stride. A lot of horses just get over this track really well. I'm happy. I cut his blinkers back just a tad because he was looking around a little bit. You're trying to figure these horses out, what their style is or the way they want to run, but there's nothing like a race. He's getting better and the way he's bred he's going to get better with age. He's a horse we've always been very high on.”
A $875,000 purchase by Donato Lanni at the 2024 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale, Litmus test campaigns for SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Stonestreet Stables, Diane Bashor, Determined Stables, Golconda Stable, Waves Edge Capital LLC, and Catherine Donovan.
Litmus Test broke his maiden in a good-looking debut sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs at Del Mar in August, then jumped into the deep end. After a fourth in the GI Del Mar Futurity behind 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' and $3-million OBS graduate Brant (Gun Runner) in the GI Del Mar Futurity, he shipped to Keeneland to finish third behind champion-elect and additional 'TDN Rising Star' Ted Noffey (Into Mischief) in the GI Breeders' Futurity. He was last seen finishing fourth in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile behind that same rival. His 95 Beyer Speed Figure in the Juvenile marked the highest previous figure among all six Los Alamitos Futurity runners Saturday.
Pedigree Notes:
In the final graded race for 2-year-olds of 2025, Nyquist added to his stellar year with Litmus Test's victory in the Los Alamitos Futurity. His other juvenile graded winner in 2025 is GI Summer Stakes winner Argos, but despite previous Eclipse-winning 2-year-olds Immersive and Vequist, as well as Canadian champion 2-year-old Gretzky the Great, Nyquist is by no means limited to juvenile stars. Overall, his four Grade I winners of this year–aged two to four–are part of his 21 graded winners and 34 black-type winners from six crops to race. The Darley stallion previously won the Los Al Futurity with Slow Down Andy–an eventual Grade I winner–in 2021.
Nyquist's three champions, like Litmus Test, are all out of A.P. Indy-line mares, with the Los Al Futurity winner's broodmare sire, the late Malibu Moon, responsible for 109 stakes winners out of his daughters.
Bred by Machmer Hall in Kentucky, Litmus Test is out of the unplaced Study Hard, a $100,000 Keeneland September purchase by the Central Kentucky nursery in 2016. A full to MGSW & GISP Sweet August Moon, Study Hard has produced Twirling Candy fillies the last two years. The yearling sold to Kenny McPeek at the Fasig-Tipton October yearling sale for $300,000. Study Hard has been bred back to McKinzie for 2026.
✅ LITMUS TEST ($3.20) passed today in the $200,000 Los Alamitos Futurity (G2) at @losalracing. The Nyquist (@DarleyAmerica) colt is trained by @BobBaffert. @JJHernandezS19 was up! He gains 10 points in this @spendthriftfarm Road to the @KentuckyDerby. pic.twitter.com/gmPuJmpygT
— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) December 14, 2025
Saturday, Los Alamitos
LOS ALAMITOS FUTURITY-GII, $200,500, Los Alamitos, 12-13, 2yo, 1 1/16m, 1:42.38, ft.
1–LITMUS TEST, 120, c, 2, by Nyquist
1st Dam: Study Hard, by Malibu Moon
2nd Dam: Silent Academy, by Royal Academy
3rd Dam: Silent Turn, by Silent Cal
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($875,000 Ylg '24 FTSAUG). O-SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Stonestreet Stables LLC, Bashor, Dianne, Determined Stables, Golconda Stable, Waves Edge Capital LLC and Donovan, Catherine; B-Machmer Hall (KY); T-Bob Baffert; J-Juan J. Hernandez. $120,000. Lifetime Record: GISP, 5-2-0-1, $350,188. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus* Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Blacksmith, 120, c, 2, Liam's Map–Sweet Achiever, by Curlin. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($525,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP). O-Wathnan Racing; B-Hill 'n' Dale Equine Holdings, Inc. & St. Elias Stables, LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert. $40,000.
3–Provenance, 120, c, 2, Into Mischief–Monomoy Girl, by Tapizar. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. O/B-Spendthrift Farm, LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert. $24,000.
Margins: 1 1/4, 3HF, 11HF. Odds: 0.60, 4.00, 6.00.
Also Ran: Acknowledgemeplz, American King, Captivator.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
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