McCarthy, Rosario seek Malibu upset with Independence Hall

While bettors ponder whether Charlatan or Nashville will win the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes on opening day at Santa Anita Saturday, they can be sure of this: One of them will be the odds-on betting favorite.

Charlatan has been odds-on in the last two of his three career races; Nashville has been odds-on in all three. And each has earned a Beyer figure over 100 in five of their six outings.

All that publicity hubbub aside, that didn’t deter Michael McCarthy from entering Independence Hall in the seven-furlong race for 3-year-olds as Santa Anita begins its 84th season with six added-money events, two others also ordained with Grade 1 status, the La Brea Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at seven furlongs and the American Oaks, also for 3-year-old fillies but at a mile and a quarter on turf.

Independence Hall — winner of four races including the Nashua (G3) by 12 1/4 lengths going a mile at Aqueduct as a 2-year-old on Nov. 3, 2019 — was ridden to victory by Mike Smith last out at Del Mar on Nov. 8, but Joel Rosario returns to ride for the Malibu.

The future Hall of Famer has ridden the son of Constitution twice previously, winning his debut race at Parx on Sept. 21, 2019, and finishing an eventful fifth in the Florida Derby on March 28 of this year.

“We have Rosario back, he’s excited to ride him and we’re happy to have him,” said McCarthy, who is scheduled to have a busy opening weekend with stakes performers.

McCarthy’s multiple graded stakes winner Smooth Like Strait is set for Saturday’s Mathis Brothers Mile (G2), cutting back from the mile and an eighth of the Hollywood Derby (G1), in which he was second by a head under Umberto Rispoli, who retains the mount on Saturday.

On Sunday, Altea and Rideforthecause make their Southern California debuts for McCarthy in the Robert J. Frankel Stakes (G3) for fillies and mares 3 and up at 1 1/8 miles on turf. “They’re both training like nice fillies,” McCarthy said. “I’ve had them since early November.”

Altea is a well-traveled 5-year-old French-bred daughter of Siyouni, a leading sire of 2-year-olds in Europe, who has raced at nine different tracks in her last nine races: Aqueduct, Gulfstream, Tampa, Fair Grounds, Churchill Downs, Keeneland, Saratoga, Monmouth and Belmont Park.

Rideforthecause is a 4-year-old Candy Ride filly with four wins in 11 career starts, most of them at Woodbine, where she captured the Canadian (G2) on Sept. 12. Rideforthecause worked five furlongs Saturday in 1:01.60, while Smooth Like Strait went four furlongs in 50 flat.

Meanwhile, McCarthy expects his two Grade 1-winning fillies, Ce Ce and Speech, back at Santa Anita from Kentucky “in the middle of January,” along with Pat Day Mile winner Rushie.