After Christmas festivities have died down, Mystik Dan will attempt to do something that hasn’t been done in a while. The winner of the 1 1/4-mile Kentucky Derby (G1) in May, Mystik Dan will look to close out the year victorious in the seven-furlong Malibu (G1) on opening day of Santa Anita’s winter-spring meet on Thursday.
The last colt to pull off the Derby/Malibu double was Ferdinand (1986), while Spectacular Bid (1979-80) and Determine (1954-55) are the only others to accomplish the feat. Two notables who fell short in their attempt to do so were Affirmed (1978-79) and Silver Charm (1997).
The only horse to compete in all three legs of the Triple Crown last spring, Mystik Dan finished second in the Preakness (G1) and eighth of 10 in the Belmont (G1) after winning a three-way photo in the Derby. He has not raced since the Belmont on June 8, thus forfeited his chances at the three-year-old title.
The Malibu will be no easy task for Mystik Dan. Bentornato wasn’t far off claiming the title of champion male sprinter when finishing a half-length second to Straight No Chaser in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) last month. Farther up the track was Raging Torrent, who finished a sub-par seventh despite having beaten The Chosen Vron by a neck in the Pat O’Brien (G2) in August.
Like Mystik Dan, Stronghold is another Kentucky Derby alumni shortening from longer races. Winner of the Sunland Derby (G3) and Santa Anita Derby (G1) to start the year, Stronghold finished seventh at Churchill Downs but fared better when second in both the Indiana Derby (G3) and Pennsylvania Derby (G1).
San Felipe (G2) winner and Santa Anita Derby runner-up Imagination was last seen finishing second by a head in an allowance on Oct. 26 for Bob Baffert, who also saddles stakes newcomer Pilot Commander, a son of Baffert’s 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify. Winterfell also goes for Baffert after spending the fall in the Mid-Atlantic, where he became a stakes winner at Laurel when stabled with Brittany Russell.
Completing the field is Senior Officer, a promising but inexperienced son of Into Mischief trained by Brad Cox.
The Malibu is one of six graded stakes on an 11-race program that begins at 11 a.m. PT. The softer of the graded offerings are the $200,000 Mathis Mile (G2) for three-year-olds on the turf and the $200,000 Laffit Pincay Jr. (G2) for older horses at 1 1/16 miles.
Heading the Mathis Mile field are multiple stakes winners King of Gosford and Stay Hot, second and fourth, respectively, in the Hollywood Derby (G1). Atitlan, seventh in the Hollywood Derby, previously won the Twilight Derby (G2).
The Laffit Pincay, formerly known as the San Antonio but renamed in honor of the Hall of Famer who was once the winningest jockey of all time, attracted a field eight, the most accomplished being 2022 Santa Anita H. (G1) winner Express Train.
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