CYPRESS — After chasing the presumptive 2-year-old champion Ted Noffey and a $3 million colt named Brant in his earlier races, Litmus Test faced a decidedly less star-studded field in the Los Alamitos Futurity on Saturday.

But that’s not why Litmus Test won the $200,000, Grade II race, trainer Bob Baffert insisted after sending out the 1-2-3 finishers.

“He’s getting better,” Baffert said in the winner’s circle. “He ran better today than he did in the Breeders’ Cup.”

Litmus Test, fourth behind winner Ted Noffey in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Del Mar last time out, scored a solid 1-1/4-length victory with jockey Juan Hernandez, holding off Blacksmith as Provenance finished third in the field of six.

The son of Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist paid $3.20 after covering 1-1/16 miles in 1:42

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