First look: Santa Anita's Malibu Stakes, La Brea probables
The final Grade 1 races of the season run on the dirt and restricted to 3-year-olds draw Saturday, with the seven-furlong Malibu (G1) and La Brea (G1) headlining the opening card at Santa Anita Park set for its traditional day-after-Christmas spot on the calendar.
Santa Anita's stakes coordinator, James Kasparoff, filled us in on the early probables...
Off a runner-up finish in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, Omaha Beach could wind up odds-on in this event unless the field size balloons a bit. Two back, the 3-year-old son of War Front defeated older rivals in the Santa Anita Sprint Championship (G1) and will go on panel farther here.
Facing Omaha Beach in his tuneup for Gulfstream Park's Jan. 25 Pegasus World Cup (G1) -- his final anticipated start before retiring to Spendthrift Farm -- are a trio of well-known west coast rivals. But each of Instagrand, Roadster and Much Better will enter off defeats.
The former two weren't competitive in their prior starts, while Much Better could well be the value going second off the bench and back into stakes company for the Bob Baffert barn. He brings pure speed and should look to take them all the way.
Expect to see Complexity as the second morning line choice. The Grade 1 winner at age 2 spent most of this season on the sidelines before rolling to an easy victory in allowance company last month at Aqueduct. He'll ship across the country for the Chad Brown barn.
| Rank | Silks | Horse / Sire | Rating | Trainer / Jockey | Last Start | Status | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Omaha Beach War Front | R. Mandella |
| Probable | ||||
| Instagrand Into Mischief | D. Chatlos |
| Probable | ||||
| Roadster Quality Road | B. Baffert |
| Probable | ||||
| Manny Wah Will Take Charge | W. Catalano |
| Probable | ||||
| Complexity Maclean's Music | C. Brown |
| Probable | ||||
| Much Better Pioneerof the Nile | B. Baffert |
| Probable | ||||
| Speed Pass Bodemeister | B. Baffert |
| Possible |
This event for the sophomore fillies sees Bellafina stay home at Santa Anita, where she's done her best running. The Simon Callaghan trainee dipped in her form when off the board in two-turn races such as the Kentucky Oaks and Cotillion Stakes (G1). She also sandwiched a third in Saratoga's Test (G1) between those events.
Back around one turn on the west coast, Bellafina was next best in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint to likely champion Covfefe last month at Santa Anita. Running back to that effort may be enough in the La Brea.
Two last out stakes winners are in to challenge with Zia Park Oaks heroine Motion Emotion having relocated to the Richard Baltas barn the second half of this season. Trainer Neil Pessin's also shipping Keeneland's Raven Run (G2) winner Bell's the one out west for this event.
The Baffert barn's contingent could be large, or perhaps he's still thinking over which filly to run. All mentioned as possible are the lightly raced Anuket and Message, while Mother Mother would be exiting a layoff dating back to May.
Also on the Card
Five stakes in all run Thursday at Santa Anita, where the undercard feature's sure to be the 1 1/16-mile San Antonio Stakes (G2) headlined by defending winner Gift Box making his first start since June.
He'll be joined by, among others, either Midcourt or Draft Pick; the 3-year-old Gray Magician; and potentially Extra Hope, who was second to Midcourt most recently in Del Mar's Native Diver (G2).
Also Thursday, Santa Anita will contest the Mathis Brothers Mile (G2) and Lady of Shamrock Stakes, both for 3-year-olds on the turf.