Three-year-old sprinters will square off in a pair of a Grade 1 events, the $300,000 Malibu (G1) and $300,000 La Brea (G1), and Santa Anita will feature a total of six stakes on Tuesday’s traditional Boxing Day opening program.
A head second in the Santa Anita Sprint Championship (G2) two back, Speed Boat Beach will look to get back in the win column when he lines up for the seven-furlong Malibu. The speedy colt tops a trio of Bob Baffert trainees, and Speed Boat Beach exits a respectable effort in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1), setting the pace before weakening to finish three lengths back in fourth.
Flavien Prat rides the Grade 3 juvenile turf winner, and Speed Boat Beach will make his third start of the season, returning from a 10-month layoff in the Santa Anita Sprint Championship. The Florida-bred son of Bayern will be joined by stablemates Fort Bragg and Hejazi in the eight-horse field.
Fort Bragg adds the services of Irad Ortiz Jr. following a convincing allowance win at Del Mar in mid-November. Winner of the Dwyer (G3) and a neck second in the Pat Day Mile (G2), the Tapit colt finished third in the Santa Anita Sprint Championship two starts back. Grade 1-placed Hejazi also returns to stakes competition off a sharp allowance triumph, crushing foes by a 5 1/2-length margin at Santa Anita in early November. Juan Hernandez will be up.
Multiple Grade 2 victor Damon’s Mound is a contender for Michelle Lovell. Winner of the Gallant Bob (G2) two back, the early/presser will retain the services of Junior Alvarado. Raise Cain will invade from the Midwest for Ben Colebrook. A romping winner of the Gotham (G3) earlier this year, the late-running colt exits a win in the seven-furlong Perryville S. at Keeneland in late October. Frankie Dettori takes over the reins.
Test (G1) and Chillingworth (G3) runner-up Clearly Unhinged and unbeaten stakes winner Howl head 10 fillies in the seven-furlong La Brea. Umberto Rispoli will be up on Clearly Unhinged, who will seek to rebound for Michael McCarthy following a sixth in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1). Howl, a convincing debut winner at Keeneland in late October, will look to keep rolling for Brad Cox after improving to 2-for-2 with a one-length tally in Safely Kept at Laurel Park. Prat will guide.
Santa Ynez (G3) winner Ice Dancing will make her second start back from a 10-month layoff. Royal Spa ships in off an allowance score at Churchill Downs, and turf stakes winner Fast and Shiny will show speed on the surface switch.
Seven three-year-old fillies will square over 1 1/4 miles on turf in the $300,000 American Oaks (G1). Del Mar Oaks (G1) winner Anisette, second in the Autumn Miss (G3) and Rodeo Drive (G2) in her last two outings, is the one to beat. Rispoli has the call on the English-bred daughter of Awtaad for Leonard Powell.
Del Mar Oaks runner-up Be Your Best will be running late for Horacio de Paz and Ortiz. Musical Mischief will make her turf and stakes debut for McCarthy following an 11-length romp at Churchill Downs, and Prat picks up the mount. Khinjani, a handicap winner at Royal Windsor in mid-October, will make her first U.S. start, and French Group 3 winner Elounda Queen will seek to rebound after a pair of unplaced efforts versus Grade 1 foes in her first two stateside appearances.
In the $200,000 Mathis Mile (G2), Almendares will return to stakes competition for Phil D’Amato. The three-year-old gelding has won twice from four U.S. starts, sandwiching a third in the Del Mar Derby (G1) and a close fifth in the Twilight Derby (G2) between a pair of allowance wins, and Prat will pilot the late runner.
Seven three-year-olds will contest the one-mile turf test, and Dandy Man Shines brings a two-race win streak to his first graded attempt, easily breaking his maiden and winning the Let It Ride S. by a 2 1/4-length margin on Nov. 10. Panic Alarm, Reiquist, and Watsonville are also entered.
Seven older horses will contest the $200,000 San Antonio (G2) at 1 1/16 miles, and Salesman rates as a top contender for Richard Mandella on the cutback. A French import this year, the six-year-old gelding put it all together when recording an 8 1/4-length victory in the 1 5/8-mile Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (G2) at Santa Anita on Nov. 4. Mike Smith will navigate.
Santa Anita H. (G1) victor Stilleto Boy, unplaced in his last three versus Grade 1 opponents, is a rebound candidate on the class drop. Multiple Grade 3 winner Brickyard Ride will look to steal it on the front end. Grade 2 winner Newgrange, third in the Native Diver (G3) in late November, can’t be dismissed for Baffert and Ortiz.
The $200,000 San Gabriel (G2) kicks off the stakes action, and Seabiscuit (G2) winner Easter looms as the probable favorite over five rivals in the 1 1/8-mile turf affair. After earning his first stakes win in the Lure at Santa Anita, the five-year-old gelding came back to capture the Seabiscuit at Del Mar in late November. Antonio Fresu will be up for Phil D’Amato.
Other runners include Astronaut, Missed the Cut, and Tio Magico.
