Malibu Pits Baffert Trio Against Three Invaders

Three invaders are slated to meet a tough trio of Bob Baffert runners and two others in the Malibu Stakes (G1) on Santa Anita Park's opening-day card Dec. 26. Baffert could win a record-tying sixth edition of the seven-furlong event for 3-year-olds should Speed Boat Beach , Fort Bragg , or Hejazi  come home on top.

"All three are training well," Baffert said. "There is a lot of speed in the race."

While all three Baffert runners are very capable dirt sprinters, they have versatility as well.

Speed Boat Beach is coming off a fourth in the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1), won for the second consecutive time by Elite Power  . The champion male sprinter of 2022, Elite Power will likely win a second Eclipse Award in 2023.

After the Breeders' Cup, Baffert praised Speed Boat Beach's effort, noting the talented group he faced. Away from the races for more than nine months after his 2-year-old season, Speed Boat Beach had only one prep before the Breeders' Cup, an excellent second by just a head to multiple grade 1 winner Dr. Schivel   in the Santa Anita Sprint Championship Stakes (G2). A son of Baffert-trained Bayern , Speed Boat Beach runs well on turf too, having captured two races over that surface at 2.

Flavien Prat, who won the 2022 Cecil B. DeMille Stakes (G3T) the last time he piloted Speed Boat Beach, will ride him again. They drew post 3.

Fort Bragg, a son of Tapit  , has won from 6 1/2 furlongs to 1 1/16 miles. Winner of the Dwyer Stakes (G3) at Belmont Park in July, he finished third behind Dr. Schivel and Speed Boat Beach in the Santa Anita Sprint Championship. Fort Bragg returned at Del Mar with a sharp 2 1/4-length victory in a 6 1/2-furlong allowance optional claimer Nov. 17 while facing his elders.

Irad Ortiz Jr., in from New York and the nation's current leading jockey by purse earnings, will ride Fort Bragg from post 2. It will be the first time Ortiz will be on the colt in a race.

Hejazi, a son of Bernardini who cost $3.55 million as a 2-year-old, will be making his second start following a seven-month layoff. When Speed Boat Beach broke his maiden in September 2022, Hejazi ran second, with Fort Bragg third. Hejazi then finished third to two more Baffert trainees, Cave Rock  and National Treasure , in the American Pharoah Stakes (G1). Though not yet a stakes winner, Hejazi ran second in the Lafayette Stakes at Keeneland in April prior to his layoff.

Southern California leading rider Juan Hernandez rode Hejazi in his comeback race when they won a six-furlong allowance optional claimer Nov. 3 at Santa Anita. Hernandez will be back aboard for the Malibu from post 7.

The Invaders

Brad Cox trained Corona Bolt , the colt who beat Hejazi in the Lafayette, and Cox is shipping Giant Mischief  to California for the Malibu. At the end of 2022, Giant Mischief ran second in the Springboard Mile Stakes at Remington Park. Sixth in this year's Rebel Stakes (G2) at Oaklawn Park, the son of Into Mischief   has a first and a second in allowance optional claiming company at Churchill Downs in his most recent outings. Kazushi Kimura will ride Giant Mischief from the rail.

Raise Cain , conditioned by Ben Colebrook, is also shipping to California from Kentucky. He won the seven-furlong Perryville Stakes Oct. 21 at Keeneland. Winner of the Gotham Stakes (G3) in March at Aqueduct, Raise Cain competed in the Kentucky Derby (G1), finishing eighth. Frankie Dettori will ride the son of Violence   from post 8.

Damon's Mound  rounds out the shippers. Trainer Michelle Lovell told BloodHorse that co-owner Cliff Love has been targeting the Malibu for some time with the son of Girvin  . Damon's Mound has won three stakes—the 2022 Saratoga Special Stakes (G2) and 2023 Gallant Bob Stakes (G2) and Robert Hilton Memorial Stakes—all at sprint distances. Junior Alvarado, aboard for the Gallant Bob, Hilton, and most recently a second in the Steel Valley Sprint Stakes, is named from post 5.

Local Opposition

Matanzas Creek  (Mike Smith, post 6) and Sharp Aza Tack  (Antonio Fresu, post 4) complete the Malibu field. Tim Yakteen trains Matanzas Creek, who broke his maiden by 2 1/4 lengths at six furlongs at Del Mar Nov. 19 in his second start. Doug O'Neill trains Sharp Aza Tack, a turf stakes winner in 2022 making his dirt debut.