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Photo by Ernie Belmonte/Past The Wire
By Maribeth Kalinich
The $200,000 Los Alamitos Futurity provided a surprising result as the Practical Move won at 10-1 odds paying $23.20 to his believers.
Trained by Tim Yakteen and smartly piloted by Ramon Vazquez Practical Move lived up to his name stalking the leaders waiting for just the right moment to make his move.
A field of five two-year-olds lined up with a good start for all except for Tall Boy and Caramel Road who bumped leaving the gate.
Practical Move raced up close between rivals into the first turn then dropped back a bit to a stalking position. Launching a bid inside Carmel Road at the five-sixteenths pole, he took over with a quarter mile remaining, shook free at the eight pole and drew away under right-handed urging.
Carmel Road sped to the front piloted by top California jockey Juan Hernandez and led a bit off the rail into the clubhouse turn, showed the way clear up the backstretch, challenged by Practical Move at the five-sixteenths pole, relinquished the lead in upper stretch, stayed alongside to mid-stretch, lost touch into the final furlong but was clearly second best.
Fort Bragg under Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Flavien Prat had to check out of a tight spot early, went two-wide into the first turn then drifted out to the four-path while at the back, moved closer three deep on the far turn, could not sustain the momentum in upper stretch and churned on to hold the show.
With Umberto Rispoli up Tall Boy stalked on the inside, swung out at the five-sixteenths pole and could not rally.
Hall of Famer John Velazquez guided Arabian Lion up close three deep into the first turn, kept him close in pursuit up the backstretch but lost positions while he coaxed favored Arabian Lion along on the far turn in the two-path as they faded in the stretch run.
Practical Move paid $23.20 and $11.80, and Caramel Road paid $9.00 for show making a pretty tasty exacta play.
By graded stakes winner Practical Joke (Into Mischief) out of the Afleet Alex mare Ack Naughty, Practical Move is campaigned by Leslie A. Amestoy, Pierre Jean Amestoy, Jr., and Roger K. Beasley.
Practical Move has hit the board in all of his five starts with two wins, a second and two thirds. He has $194,200 career earnings to date.
The chestnut colt was bred in Kentucky by Chad Brown and Head of Plains Partners, Practical Move sold at the 2022 Ocala Breeders Two-Year-Old Sale for $230,000.
