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Mastery goes to top of West Coast hopefuls for Kentucky Derby with commanding win in Los Alamitos Futurity

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There should be little surprise that trainer Bob Baffert won the last major race of the year for 2-year-old colts on an overcast and slightly chilly Saturday afternoon at Los Alamitos. After all, it was his ninth win in the 36-year history of the race that started as the Hollywood Park Futurity, and third straight since it moved and became the Los Alamitos Cash Call Futurity.

But what came as a bit of a surprise is how Mastery turned a temporarily soft performance at the top of the track‘s never-ending stretch into a commanding win by a record-setting margin and just .74 of a second off the track record.

The soon to be 3-year-old son of Candy Ride and Steady Course vaulted himself to the top of the list of West Coast horses hoping to land a spot in the Kentucky Derby.

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“I was really nervous today,” Baffert said in the winner’s circle after the $300,000 Grade 1 victory. “You’re always thinking, I hope he’s as good as I think he is but at the top of the stretch it looked like … I don’t know is he struggling or what? Then all of sudden he took off again.”

Bobby Abu Dhabi broke on top with Mastery just on his outside and they engaged in what looked like a speed duel not befitting a 1 1/16-mile race. The half-mile time of 45.65 raised some eyebrows as did the six furlong time of 1:09.53. The final time was 1:41.56.

Mastery was able to poke a nose ahead entering the clubhouse turn but he didn’t have the lead with confidence. Entering the stretch, Irap made a run at Mastery until jockey Mike Smith went to a left-hand whip a couple times and his colt started to pull away from the field for the 7 ¼-length win. Previously the largest margin of victory was seven lengths by Matty G in 1995.

Mastery paid $2.40 to win and $2.10 to place as the 1-5 favorite. Irap returned $9.40. The rest of the field was Dangerfield, Bobby Abu Dhabi and Show Me Da Lute. There was no show betting.

“I think the key was Bob [Baffert] putting the blinkers back on,” Smith said. “He started looking around a little when he made the front in the stretch, but after I gave him a reminder he re-broke and was strong.”

Blinkers are used to keep a horse focused and not be distracted by their surroundings.

Baffert won the Los Alamitos Futurity last year with Mor Spirit and two years ago with Dortmund, who finished third in the Kentucky Derby behind eventual Triple Crown winner American Pharoah.

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“I knew he [Mastery] couldn’t be doing any better, when you have a good horse like this you’re sort of relieved that he ran like you thought,” Baffert said.

As is his nature, Baffert was evasive when talking about Mastery’s next race. With Dortmund and Mor Spirit he ran them both in the Robert B. Lewis Stakes and then the San Felipe before the Santa Anita Derby. But with Mastery, he may not do two prep races before the final race leading to the Kentucky Derby.

“I just don’t know yet,” Baffert said. “That’s too far off. … I don’t know if I’d give him two runs [prep races].”

By winning Saturday, Mastery has 10 qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby. It generally takes a total in the mid-20s to qualify for the 20-horse field at Churchill Downs.

In Saturday’s other Grade 1 $300,000 race, Abel Tasman upset American Gal to win the Los Alamitos Starlet, a race for 2-year-old fillies. American Gal is trained by Baffert and ridden by Smith.

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john.cherwa@latimes.com

Follow John Cherwa on Twitter @jcherwa

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