McKinzie bounces back from Classic flop to end year with classy Malibu success

Santa Anita: Malibu Stakes (Grade 1) | 7f | dirt | 3yo

McKinzie bounced back from a disappointing run in the Breeders’ Cup Classic to capture the $300,000 7f Grade 1 Malibu Stakes at Santa Anita in style.

As the field of 14 stampeded around the turn for home one horse stood out. At the top of the lane, McKinzie burst to the front and powered away from an overmatched field to win by four and three-quarter lengths under Mike Smith.

The Bob Baffert-trained son of Street Sense was unchallenged through the stretch. He entered the Malibu on Boxing Day off the worst performance of his career, when he finished 12th (beaten 31 lengths) in the Breeders' Cup Classic.

"After the Breeders' Cup he came back here and I told Mike he was doing really well, and he worked him a couple times for me," Baffert said. "Because after the Breeders' Cup, Mike was like, 'Is he okay? He just quit.' I told him, 'Don't worry about it. It was my fault.'"

Sent off at 6-5, McKinzie stumbled slightly at the start but got out of the gate well enough, then settled near the back of the pack early. McKinzie moved up as he entered the turn without any asking from Smith and travelled four wide in the bend to set up his stretch run.

"This horse really has something in store," Smith said. "You're really better off running him like this, because you don't take too much out of yourself. Bob brought him back here, gave him a little break, and his energy came back up, and he was ready to run today. He was loaded from the word 'go.' I think the only anxious moment was leaving the gate, when he kind of stumbled, but after that he got up, and he was loaded from that point on."

Bob Baffert: had confidence in McKinzieCredit: Edward Whitaker

McKinzie wrapped up an abbreviated three-year-old season with three graded wins - the Malibu, Grade 1 Pennsylvania Derby, and Grade 3 Sham - and was disqualified from a fourth victory, the San Felipe, a Grade 2, for interference. He was taken off the Triple Crown trail in March after he sustained a hind-leg injury, then returned to racing seven months later in the Pennsylvania Derby.

McKinzie is a 12-1 shot for the Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream on January 26 and the same price for the Dubai World Cup on March 30.

Also on Wednesday

Santa Anita: La Brea Stakes (Grade 1) | 7f | dirt | 3yo fillies

Dare to Dream Stable has so far been a fitting ownership name for a horse like Spiced Perfection, who put it all together to win the $300,000 Grade 1 La Brea Stakes at Santa Anita.

A $50,000 sale purchase, Spiced Perfection hit the front at the top of the lane and inched away to win by a length and a quarter in the 7f dirt sprint.

"She ran big," said jockey Flavien Prat. "She broke off nice, and then I was outside in the clear. She was comfortable the entire way. Around the turn I was going pretty well, so I thought I had a shot. As soon as I asked her, she responded."

Trainer Brian Koriner added: "She really did it on her own. The rider even had to slow down on her on the backside, because she was running up there. I was just hoping she wasn't too fresh and get tired late. It was a great move up, to have a little pedigree and win a Grade 1. I don't know what that does for her, but we're happy."

Odds-on favoUrite Dream Tree, who came into the race undefeated, showed speed but backed up harshly in the turn and was eased in the stretch by Drayden Van Dyke.

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