Horse Racing Odds: Malibu Stakes and La Brea Stakes at Santa Anita Park

by Patricia Woo | Dec 21 2009

Santa Anita Park kicks off its winter-spring meet on Saturday, Dec. 26 with the Malibu Stakes and the La Brea Stakes, two 7-furlong, $300,000 races for 3-year-olds. Don’t miss out on this exciting horse betting opportunity - check out Bodog Racebook’s rundown of the LaBrea and Malibu Stakes top contenders.

Horse Racing Odds: Malibu Stakes and La Brea Stakes at Santa Anita Park

Santa Anita Park opens its winter-spring meet with a pair of exciting stakes races on Saturday, Dec. 26. The Malibu Stakes and the La Brea Stakes will feature 3-year-olds going 7 furlongs in pursuit of a grade 1 title and the winner’s share of the $300,000 purses. Bodog Racebook takes a look at the top contenders for each of the Malibu Stakes and the La Brea Stakes.

Bob Baffert’s Misremembered will get another chance to win top prize when he takes on what looks to be a large field in the $300,000 Gr. 1 Malibu Stakes on Saturday at Santa Anita Park. Though he has won at longer distances before, this Candy Ride colt might benefit from shortening up; after briefly leading in the $400,000 Clark Handicap on Nov. 27, he gave way in the late going to lose to Blame by a mere neck. With a record of 8-4-2-0 this year and $638,589 in earnings, Misremembered has had an outstanding 2009 campaign. He has finished out of the top two just twice: a sixth-place finish in his first attempt to break his maiden in April and a dismal 10th in the $1M Pacific Classic in September. Notable wins include the $300,000 Gr. 2 Swaps Stakes at Hollywood Park in June and the $500,000 Gr. 2 Indiana Derby at Hoosier Park in October. That strong finish in the Clark Handicap indicates a grade 1 title is not out of this 3-year-old’s reach.

The Malibu Stakes also marks the return of one of this year’s Kentucky Derby hopefuls, Papa Clem. Trained by Gary Stute, this 3-year-old came in fourth in this year’s edition of the Run for the Roses and followed up his Kentucky Derby try in April with a sixth-place finish in the Preakness Stakes in May. A son of Smart Strike, Papa Clem had a difficult outside trip in his last outing, a tough seventh-place finish in the $350,000 Gr. 2 Del Mar Derby.

Others aiming for a shot at the Malibu Stakes include M One Rifle, New Bay, Square Eddie and Coronet of a Baron.

The La Brea Stakes will also be run that same day, a 7-furlong test for 3-year-old fillies. Coming into Saturday’s race off a pair of difficult races is Evita Argentina, a daughter of Candy Ride who is trained by John Sadler. After winning her second graded stakes race of the year (the $150,000 Gr. 2 A Gleam Handicap at Hollywood Park in July), Evita Argentina came in sixth in the $200,000 Gr. 3 Rancho Bernardo Handicap in September and seventh in the $1M Gr. 1 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint in November. This 3-year-old has a 2009 race record of 7-2-1-0 and $226,500 in earnings.

Also expected to start is Starlarks, from the barn of Patrick Gallagher. This 3-year-old is also seeking her first grade 1 title; her best finish this year was a win in the $150,000 Gr. 2 San Clemente Handicap at Del Mar in August. Amazed by Grace, Kays and Jays and Pinkarella are also possible; Carlsbad, who was expected to start, suffered a fatal breakdown while training at Santa Anita Park on Dec. 19.

Bet on the Malibu Stakes and the La Brea Stakes at Bodog Racebook!