Pegasus-bound Collected headlines Boxing Day action

Preview: USA, Tuesday 9pm GMT
Santa Anita: San Antonio Stakes (Grade 2)| 1m½f | 3yo+ | dirt

Breeders' Cup Classic runner-up Collected (Bob Baffert/Mike Smith), one of nine horses confirmed for next month's Pegasus World Cup, gets ready for the world's richest race at Santa Anita on Boxing Day.

The four-year-old, the only horse able to mount a challenge against Gun Runner at the Breeders' Cup at Del Mar after beating Arrogate in the $1 million Pacific Classic, is unbeaten in five at Santa Anita.

However, the Grade 2 San Antonio looks no soft option given the presence of Collected's Grade 1-winning stablemate Hoppertunity (Flavien Prat), winner of this $300,000 event 12 months ago, and Accelerate (John Sadler/Javier Castellano), who also beat Arrogate at Del Mar in the summer before flopping in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile.

Also on Tuesday

Santa Anita: La Brea Stakes (Grade 1)7f | 3yo fillies | dirt | (11pm GMT, live on ATR)

There are a pair of top-class west-coast fillies on the rebound here as Paradise Woods (Richard Mandella/Flavien Prat) and Unique Bella (Jerry Hollendorfer/Mike Smith) go head to head. At different stages of the year both horses stood at the forefront of this division after wide-margin successes in good company at this venue.

However, they now come here with questions to answer after the Breeders' Cup. Twice a Grade 1 winner at Santa Anita, habitual front-runner Paradise Woods cuts back in trip after her effort petered out in the closing stages of the Distaff, in which she was still a decent third, while Unique Bella was only seventh as hot favourite for the Filly & Mare Sprint at Del Mar.

"I felt she went too fast in the beginning," said trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, speaking to the Blood-Horse. "She should be plenty fit enough for this. She's been training beautifully and can run short or long, and a lot of good horses can't do that."

Santa Anita: Malibu Stakes (Grade 1)7f | 3yo | dirt (11.30pm GMT, live on ATR)

Undefeated CZ Rocket (Al Stall/Jose Lezcano) ships in from Kentucky bidding to complete a four-timer on his first start in top-grade company, as does Dabster (Bob Baffert/Flavien Prat), who would also be unbeaten in three but for a disqualification on debut.

Royal winner retired

Hootenanny, who scored at Royal Ascot for Wesley Ward in 2014 before landing the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf, has been retired and will stand at Buck Pond Farm in Kentucky. A fee has yet to be announced.