Free Malibu Stakes Past Performances (2018)
(Free past performances for Wednesday, December 26, 2018 at Santa Anita)
Santa Anita Opens New Season
Santa Anita will kick off a new season the day after Christmas featuring the Malibu Stakes (G1) for three-year-olds going seven furlongs for a $300,000 purse.
The Malibu will be the headliner on the 10-race opening day card at Santa Anita that also includes the La Brea Stakes (G1), Mathis Brothers Mile (G2), San Antonio (G2), and the Lady of Shamrock Stakes, a non-graded race for three-year-old fillies going 1 mile on turf.
Malibu Stakes Analysis
There will be no shortage of talent heading into the starting gate on Wednesday in the Malibu.
Bob Baffert is expected to send out four of the fourteen sophomores entered in the opening day feature that includes Solomini and McKinzie who were one-two, respectively, the last time they faced off in the 2017 running of the Los Alamitos Futurity.
Solomini was disqualified that day and wasn’t able to advance his chances on his way to a 10th place finish behind Triple Crown winning Justify in Derby. McKinzie was placed first through the disqualification.
He’ll be making his first start since the Summer when third in the G3 Affirmed here as the heavy favorite. Sitting on a couple of bullets, the cutback in distance should help his cause. And despite the lone maiden voyage victory on his chart, he’ll have the benefit of the outside post, a top jock in Rosario, and a nice price at 10-1.
McKinzie returned from his fortunate placing in the Los Alamitos Futurity to win the G3 Sham in his next start and the favorite in early wagering on the Kentucky Derby at Wynn’s in Las Vegas. He found himself on the wrong end of a stewards review (and off the Derby Trail) after the G2 San Felipe when disqualified to second for bumping with Bolt d’Oro who was eventually declared the winner.
His Pennsylvania Derby win two-back, off a six-month layoff, must have been a big sigh of relief for the connections after falling off the Derby Trail in the Spring. His Breeders’ Cup Classic effort proved he wasn’t ready to face older runners despite his best effort. He made easy work of the seven furlong distance as a two-year-old on debut at Santa Anita and deserves to be the lukewarm 7-2 favorite — but he’s no cinch.
