Historic $300,000, Grade 1 malibu stakesa North American year-end race staple, has been rescheduled for Sunday, Dec. 28 at Santa Anita Park, with 10 individuals within the 2025 renewal. This prestigious race featured previous winners equivalent to Mizzen Mast, Twirling Sweet, Shared Perception, Flightline, and plenty of different standouts. 5 of the ten starters listed are educated by Bob Baffert.
It is a view of the sector ranging from the within (rail) submit place. Modus Bestia is on observe for coach Richard Baltas and is on a roll, successful his final two races on the Del Mar dust observe. Spenard will probably be competing from Turf Paradise, with veteran rider Tyler Bays within the saddle. The Span to Run colt will make his debut at Santa Anita and his first begin on the seven-furlong distance at Malibu. (replace: Spenard withdrew from the race on December 28). Madaket Highway will probably be jockey Bob Baffert’s seventh consecutive main stakes look, ridden by Airad Ortiz Jr. for the primary time since main the colt to a runner-up end within the Pat Day Mile Stakes Introduced by SAP on the undercard of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. Speedy Wilson isn’t any stranger to the winner’s circle, with 4 wins in eight profession races and a 3-3 report over seven furlongs, and is maintained by common rider Armando Ayuso. Midland Cash received his debut at Santa Anita in June 2024 by six lengths, then resurfaced greater than a 12 months later at Saratoga to attain his first win after a protracted break and end second within the allowance choice declare stage for the second 12 months in a row. Berlin Wall received by 7 3/4 lengths final time at Del Mar and has completed within the prime three in all 4 races he began his profession at Santa Anita. Coach Karen Headley will ship Clean Crewin in his sixth profession race for the prize, and he will probably be ridden by common jockey Kyle Frey. Cornucopian, a contender for the lightest race on the Malibu observe, will probably be Baffert’s first begin since April 27. The yearling, bought for $1.1 million, will probably be ridden for the primary time by Flavien Prat. Burns, a $3.2 million yearling named after Bob Baffert’s longtime assistant Jimmy Burns, will make his first begin since successful the Perryville Stakes by eight and 1 / 4 lengths at Keeneland in October. (replace: Burns withdrew from the race on December 28). A purpose orientation rounded out the sector and Baffert’s quintet. He will probably be returning to Santa Anita for the primary time since successful his profession debut by 3 1/4 lengths, which was additionally his most up-to-date begin at a dash distance.
Evaluation and important candidates:
Given his loss within the Perryville Stakes, there may be little doubt about his capacity. burnsparticularly on the seven-furlong distance in Malibu. Expectations had been excessive for the Into Mischief colt from the start. Burns made his debut at Churchill Downs in November 2024, narrowly successful his first win within the particular class, then returned to Santa Anita and received the San Vicente Stakes in January by 5 and a half lengths over seven furlongs on dust in a time of 1 minute, 22.15 seconds. Following that spectacular efficiency, jockey Burns entered his fifth consecutive graded stakes. The horse made his observe debut within the San Felipe Stakes in March and set the tempo earlier than being trailed by eventual Preakness Stakes winner and Kentucky Derby Introduced by Woodford Reserve and runner-up Journalism within the Belmont Stakes Introduced by NYRA Betts. He then prolonged it to 1 1/8 miles for the primary time within the Santa Anita Derby, however once more fell behind Journalism and completed a disappointing fifth. After a brief interval of refreshment, Burns resurfaced three and a half months later within the H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes at Saratoga in August at his favourite distance of seven furlongs, ending third, only a size and a half behind Patch Adams and Captain Cook dinner. He got here in final within the Gallant Bob Stakes held at Parkes Racing in September, and regardless of a late rally, he completed 3/4 of a size behind in 4th place, with the race shortened to 6 furlongs. In his final outing, Burns returned to seven furlongs at Perryville and put all of it collectively for an authoritative win with a 105 equal base velocity determine. Jose Ortiz rides each H. Allen Jerkens and Perryville, a notable optimistic consequence given his apparent affinity with the stallions. Since that effort, Burns has been coaching sharply, along with his most up-to-date coaching session at Santa Anita on Dec. 20 highlighted by a six-furlong time of 1:12.80. He is checking a variety of containers right here. He returns to Santa Anita, the place he received at San Vicente, going seven furlongs and has a 2-0-1 report in three begins. Primarily based on morning line odds of 3-1, Barnes gives worth regardless of the high-profile potential. (replace: Burns withdrew from the race on December 28).
midland cash With two wins and two seconds in 5 begins, he brings loads of intrigue to Malibu, and Bob Baffert will add blinkers after racing with out them in his final two begins. Midland Cash made his profession debut in June 2024 within the Filth Dash Maiden Particular Class at Santa Anita, successful by six lengths. After that spectacular debut, he was out of motion for greater than a 12 months earlier than resurfacing in August of this 12 months, the place he returned in sharp kind, successful by three and 1 / 4 lengths at Saratoga Race Course and incomes a 103 Equibase Velocity Determine after a protracted break. Simply 20 days later, Midland Cash made his graded debut within the aforementioned H. Arranger Ken’s Memorial Stakes, ending sixth. Since then, he has recorded two runner-up finishes on the allowance choice declare stage at Del Mar and Santa Anita, incomes numbers of 107 equibase in every begin. Regardless of not with the ability to discover the winner’s circle within the earlier race, Midland Cash rebounded from the again of the sector to attain a great consequence, closing the hole with each step however falling simply brief within the six-and-a-half furlong race. Including a half-furlong and returning to blinkers at Malibu on Saturday may very well be simply what the Chancelot colt wants. Midland Cash additionally ranks first in Late Tempo Score with a excessive price of 126.0, and leads the sector in Common Velocity with a 103 Equibase Worth and 106 Common Class. Jockey Juan Hernandez recorded one win (debut) and two seconds with Midland Cash. Together with his tactical versatility and robust decisiveness, he’s greater than able to delivering a shock efficiency on Sunday.
treasure trove He will probably be making simply his fourth profession begin and, surprisingly, his Santa Anita debut in Malibu to conclude his three-year season underneath coach Bob Baffert. He made his profession debut in February, successful the six-furlong maiden particular at Oaklawn Park and incomes a career-best 108 equal base velocity determine. A month later, Cornukopian was stretched to 1 1/8 miles for the Arkansas Derby at Oak Garden, however bought caught up in a fierce velocity contest and light to a fourth-place end. After the Arkansas Derby, Cornucopian was despatched to Aqueduct and shortened to 1 mile within the allowance choice declare race, the place he drained and picked up the tempo, however nonetheless held second place because the odds-on favourite. Cornucopian returned to Malibu after an eight-month layoff and has been coaching arduous at Santa Anita for this begin. Jockey Bob Baffert has proven his effectiveness in main stakes races, which function horses getting back from greater than 180 days of relaxation, with a 69% in-the-money report in 16 races over the previous three years, and a successful margin of 25%. Flavien Prat rides the mount for the primary time. That is an enormous plus contemplating Pratt and Baffert have teamed up over the previous 12 months to win 42 p.c of their races, totaling 11 wins in 26 races and a top-three end price of 81 p.c. One other factor to notice is that he could have his blinkers eliminated for the primary time in his profession on Saturday. Jockey Baffert has excelled with this transfer in graded stakes races, successful seven of 19 races over the previous three years and posting a 37% win price with a 63% end in third place. Successful Malibu from a layoff will probably be a tricky process, however Cornucopian seems to be in a great place to show himself and make his presence felt on Sunday.
The remainder of the sector has posted the very best Equibase velocity numbers in related races. beast mode (109), Spenard (98), Madaket Highway (109), speedy wilson (105), berlin wall (103), easy cruising (104), and purpose oriented (110).
Get candidates by precedence:
burns (with scratches)
midland cash
treasure trove
