Horse Racing News and Results: Malibu Stakes and La Brea Stakes at Santa Anita

by Patricia Woo | Dec 28 2009

Santa Anita Park's opening day was heralded by the running of two exciting stakes races on Saturday, Dec. 26: the Malibu Stakes and La Brea Stakes. Both are Grade 1 races for 3-year-olds worth $300,000 each but were won in very different ways.

In the Malibu Stakes, Bob Baffert's Misremembered was sent off as the race favorite. But it was 7-1 shot  M One Rifle, under Mike Smith, who broke first from extreme outside post 13 and set moderate fractions; though he was pursued by Papa Clem and Square Eddie, he was not pressured at all down the home stretch and hit the wire first. Trainer Bruce Headley was surprised and thrilled by his trainee's performance. "Winning this race is an exhilarating experience… I've been trying to win the Malibu my whole life, since 1952," Headley said after the race. M One Rifle's winning time was 1:21.05.

M One Rifle had been seeking a win since September - going into the Malibu Stakes, this 3-year-old gelded son of One Man Army had come close, but had lost three in a row. This was his first attempt at a graded stakes race and certainly a memorable win. Boosted by the $180,000 winner's share of the purse, M One Rifle closes out his 2009 campaign with a race record of 8-4-1-3 and earnings of $378,572.

Misremembered, with Victor Espinoza aboard, rallied for second from sixth place in the final furlong. The pairing of Papa Clem and Tyler Baze gave way in the home stretch and finished third.

As opposed to M One Rife, who led from gate to wire, Evita Argentina had to rally last and wide to win the La Brea Stakes. This daughter of Candy Ride came into the La Brea off a seventh-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint in November and did not get off to an ideal start. Ridden by Joel Rosario, she was last amid 10 other rivals, including 5-2 favorite Gabby's Golden Gal, early on in the race. But Evita Argentina benefitted from a quick pace set by Kays and Jays and Amazed by Grace, and was able to swing seven wide into the home stretch and win by two lengths. Starlarks also rallied late in the race and was able to claim second, while Amazed by Grace faded to third.

John Sadler trains Evita Argentina for Halo Farms and Three Sisters Thoroughbreds and was extremely pleased with the way his trainee ran. "She's been a lovely filly for us all along… she's been a little unlucky her last couple of starts." Indeed, Evita Argentina had been looking for her first win since she captured the $150,000 Gr. 2 A Gleam Handicap at Hollywood Park. Now with her first grade 1 win, she improves to 8-3-1-0 on the year and $406,500 in earnings.

Rose Diamond, Kays and Jays and Will O Way rounded out the top six. Favorite Gabby's Golden Gal finished seventh.

Santa Anita Park has more great betting opportunities coming in 2010! Bet on horse racing at the Bodog Racebook!