Race of the Week: Malibu Stakes

It's the final G1 of the year for all ages and sex. It could also answer the Eclipse Champion Male Sprinter voting should the BC Champ lose the race. Here is this year's Malibu field.

8th Race - Santa Anita Park - Saturday, December 26th, 2015
STAKES. 7 Furlongs Dirt. Purse $300,000. Malibu S. (Grade 1). FOR THREE-YEAR-OLDS. (Foals of 2012). By subscription of $100 each to accompany the nomination closed Thursday, December 17, 2015 with 19 or by supplementary nomination of $6,000 at time of entry. $1,500 to pass the entry box and $3,000 additional to start, with $300,000 guaranteed, of which $180,000 to the winner, $60,000 to second, $36,000 to third, $18,000 to fourth and $6,000 to fifth. 123 lbs. Non-winners of a Grade I stake since June 26, 2015, allowed 3 lbs. Non-winners of a Grade I or Two Grade II stakes since December 26, 2014, allowed 5 lbs. Graded or Group winners have first preference regardless of weight. Horses with the highest earnings in non-claiming races have preference after allowances. A trophy will be presented to the winning owner. (03:52 PM)
PP Horse A/S M/E Wgt Jockey Trainer
1 Pain And Misery 3 G L 118 Baze Tyler Dominguez Henry
2 Marking 3 C L 118 Lezcano Jose McLaughlin Kiaran P.
3 Watershed 3 C L 118 Rosario Joel McLaughlin Kiaran P.
4 Runhappy 3 C 123 Stevens Gary L. Wohlers Laura
5 El Kabeir 3 C L 118 Smith Mike E. Terranova, II John P.
6 Bad Read Sanchez 3 C L b 118 Gutierrez Mario O'Neill Doug F.
7 Lord Nelson 3 C L 118 Bejarano Rafael Baffert Bob

Lord Nelson defeated Texas Red earlier this year and both El Kabeir and Bad Read Sanchez ran in Derby preps. Marking and Watershed come from the powerful Godolphin Stable with the former likely having the better seven furlong pedigree. Pain and Misery can run both run and short. However, this will be Runhappy's first start since the LeComte under Laura Wohlers. Of course the past few months have been a whirlwind for him as he was taken away from Maria Borell.

I really like Marking here. His sire has a seven furlong G1 winner this year (Rachel's Valentina) and his dam Seventh Street who is a G1 winner had experience at the distance. Runhappy, I think is going to need to run the race of his life again in order to beat him.

Picks

Win- Marking
Place- Runhappy
Show- Lord Nelson

Dark Horse- Watershed/El Kabeir