Bob Baffert among the top winners again on Santa Anita opening da

Jockey Flavien Prat rides Speed Boat Beach to a win in the Grade 1, $300,000 Malibu Stakes at Santa Anita Tuesday.

By John CherwaSpecial Contributor

Dec. 26, 2023 5:06 PM PT

Is there a record at Santa Anita for 3-year-old colts running on the dirt that trainer Bob Baffert doesn’t hold?

Maybe, but winning the Grade 1 $300,000 Malibu Stakes isn’t one of them as he won the seven-furlong race for a record-tying sixth time on Tuesday’s opening day when Speed Boat Beach rolled to an easy 1 1/2-length win over his stablemate Hejazi.

If you haven’t heard of Speed Boat Beach, don’t be thinking Triple Crown, because the bargain $200,000 purchase will turn 4 on Jan. 1, just like every other racing thoroughbred. Hejazi was a $3.55 million purchase.

For Speed Boat Beach, ridden by Flavien Prat, it was his fourth win in seven lifetime starts. His last finish was a fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint, also at Santa Anita. He was the favorite Tuesday and paid $5.20 to win.

“It was a good feeling, turning for home I knew I was going to win it,” Baffert said. “I wasn’t sure which one it was going to be. I would have liked to run, one two, three. Speed Boat Beach has always shown since his first out that he was something special, hopefully he can build from this.

“Hejazi is a serious horse. He was a little bit keen [Tuesday]. We weren’t able to train last week. [Jockey] Juan [Hernandez] was telling me he couldn’t get him to relax very well, so he used him up a little bit. I see big things for him down the road.”

The remainder of the field, behind the two Baffert starters were Giant Mischief, Damon’s Mound, Raise Cain, Fort Bragg — also trained by Baffert — and Sharo Aza Tack.

Santa Anita has in recent years been criticized for its small fields, even though Saratoga gave the Arcadia track a good run for short stakes fields this year. Tuesday did not show major improvement with fields of six, five, five, seven, six and nine in the six graded stakes races.

Part of the problem with field size is that FedEx suspended horse shipping by plane on Dec. 3 until after the holidays. FanDuelTV chronicled the trips of Raise Cain and Damonn’s Mound from Kentucky to run in the Malibu. The trip, by van, took 41 ½ hours over 2,100 miles with stops in St. Louis, Oklahoma City and Barstow before finally getting to Arcadia at midnight on Dec. 19.

Horse transport by air from FedEx should resume soon.

A slightly overcast sky for the first race eventually gave way to sunshine, warming the mostly jacketed crowd announced at 37,143. Last year the attendance was announced as 41,446, but it was held on a more desirable Monday.

Race-goers this year might have noticed a visual contrast — an eye-popping green turf course with fresh sod alongside a dull-colored synthetic Tapeta surface under construction that will be used for training.

Lines were long at some betting windows, but more so at the booths selling hand-carved sandwiches, a Santa Anita culinary staple. Patrons could pass the time between races thumbing through the wall calendars that are an annual giveaway item on opening day.

There were plenty of parimutuel tickets cashed. Four favorites won during the 11-race card and the highest payout on a $2 win ticket was $14.20 until the last race when a 10-1 longshot won a maiden race paying $23.00.

The first Grade 1 of the new season was the $300,000 American Oaks for 3-year-olds fillies going 1 ¼ miles on the turf. The race was scratched down to five horses and was easily won by late running Ainsette by 1 ¾ lengths. As the favorite, she paid $3.20 to win.

“Her last two races, she didn’t win, but there were circumstances,” winning trainer Leonard Powell said. “I didn’t blame her and she made amends [Tuesday]. [One of the owners] Aron Wellman and I have chosen to give her plenty of time in between races and that’s probably the key to keeping her at the top of her game.”

The last Grade 1 of the day was the female equivalent of the Malibu, the La Brea Stakes going seven furlongs for 3-year-old fillies. Daddysruby, with Juan Hernandez aboard, won a photo finish over Big Pond, with the difference between first and second being less than a nose. Peter Miller was the winning trainer with a win price of $14.20.

In the Grade 2 $200,000 races, heavily favored Easter won the San Gabriel Stakes by 1 ¼ lengths for horses 3-years-old and up going 1 1/8 miles on the turf. Easter, running for trainer Phil D’Amato and jockey Antonio Fresu, paid $3.40 to win. Newgrange took the five-horse 1 1/16-mile San Antonio Stakes by an effortless 2 ¼ lengths for D’Amato and jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr., who flew in from Gulfstream to ride 10 of the 11 races Tuesday. Newgrange paid $9.60 to win.

The final Grade 2 was the Mathis Mile for 3-year-olds on the turf. Watsonville was able to hold on from a charging Almendares to win by a nose, paying $11.00 to win. Mark Glatt was the winning trainer and Antonio Fresu was the jockey.

Racing resumes at Santa Anita on Friday.

Correspondent Mike Tierney contributed to this report.