Barnes looking for a victory on Sunday, Benoit Photo
Santa Anita Park Press
ARCADIA, CA —Barnes and promising comebacker Cornucopian headline a field of 10 3-year-olds seeking a coveted first Grade I win in next Sunday’s $300,000 Malibu Stakes for sophomores going seven furlongs on Opening Day of the Santa Anita Classic Meet. Originally scheduled for this Friday, the Malibu and the rest of Santa Anita’s blockbuster Opening Day program was pushed back to Sunday due to a series of rainstorms that’s expected to hit the area this week.
Barnes and Cornucopian are both trained Bob Baffert, a six-time winner of the Malibu. They will be joined in the lineup by stablemates Goal Oriented, Midland Money and Madaket Road for the Hall of Fame trainer.
Barnes got back on the beam last out when airing by 8 ¼ lengths in the GIII Perryville Stakes going seven furlongs on Oct. 18 at Keeneland. The victory snapped a four-race losing streak for the colt by Into Mischief. Previously, Barnes earned minor awards in the GII Gallant Bloom at Parx, GI H. Allen Jerkens at Saratoga and both the GI Santa Anita Derby and GII San Felipe at Santa Anita.
Barnes enters with a record of 7: 3-1-1 and $557,750 in earnings for owner Zedan Racing. He will be ridden by Jose Ortiz, who was also aboard in the Perryville.
Lightly raced Cornucopian will be making his first start since April 27 when finishing second in an allowance/optional claimer going one mile at Aqueduct. Also by Into Mischief, Cornucopian served notice in his debut in February at Oaklawn when romping by 5 ¾ lengths in a six-furlong maiden event. Five weeks later, he went straight into the deep when testing the Grade I Arkansas Derby going 1 1/8 miles at Oaklawn. That day Cornucopian dueled on a wicked pace before fading to fourth.
Cornucopian will have the services of top jockey Flavien Prat for the first time. He is owned by an extensive ownership group that includes SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables and partners.
Among those looking to upend the Baffert quintet are Modus Bestia for trainer Richard Baltas and Berlin Wall for trainer Steve Knapp. Both will be making their stakes debut.
Modus Bestia emerged in the second half of the season for Baltas with consecutive wins sprinting at Del Mar. A $500,000 auction buy as a yearling, the Maclean’s Music colt broke his maiden in September going 6 ½ furlongs at the Del Mar summer meet, then came right back to clear his first-level allowance condition going six furlongs at the Del Mar fall meet on Nov. 1.
Modus Bestia owns a career-best 99 Beyer Speed Figure, which puts him squarely in the mix with the Baffert colts. Modus Bestia, who is owned by Calvin Nguyen and Joey C. Tran, will have Edwin Maldonado.
Berlin Wall earned a shot in the Malibu for Knapp with a powerful 7 ¾-length win sprinting against fellow California-breds in a first-level allowance on Nov. 16 at Del Mar. By Practical Joke, Berlin Wall is 5: 2-0-1 with $144,720 in earnings for owners Thomsen Racing LLC and Thomas E. Halasz. He will be ridden by Tiago Pereira.
The Malibu Stakes is one of six graded stakes set for an 11-race card on opening day at The Great Race Place. Also on the program is the Grade I La Brea for 3-year-old fillies going seven furlongs, Grade I American Oaks for 3-year-old fillies at 1 ¼ miles on turf; GII Laffit Pincay Jr. at 1 1/16 miles on dirt; GII Mathis Mile for 3-year-olds on turf and GIII San Gabriel at 1 1/8 miles on turf.
THE GI MALIBU STAKES WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER
Race 10 of 11 – Approximate post time 3:30 p.m. PT
- Modus Bestia—Edwin Maldonado—120
- Spendard—Tyler Baze—120
- Madaket Road—Irad Ortiz Jr.—120
- Speedy Wilson—Armando Ayuso—120
- Midland Money—Juan Hernandez—120
- Berlin Wall—Tiago Pereira—120
- Smooth Cruisein—Kyle Frey—120
- Cornucopian—Flavien Prat—120
- Barnes—Jose Ortiz—122
- Goal Oriented—Joel Rosario—120
First post next Sunday is 11 a.m. PT. Admission gates open at 9 a.m.
