Weekend Stakes Races – $300,000 Grade I La Brea and Grade I Malibu Stakes

Santa Anita opens its winter/spring meet on Saturday with a bang up card that most horseplayers should go ga-ga over.

The “Great Race Place” always opens the day after Christmas and 2009 is no exception.  Because the day after Christmas this year is on a Saturday, Santa Anita has put both Grade I races for its opening day weekend on the same card, the Grade I La Brea Stakes and the Grade I Malibu Stakes.

Both races figure to offer plenty of value to bettors in the online racebook.

Santa Anita – Race 8

Grade I La Brea Stakes (6:30 pm EST)
$300,000
For Fillies Three Years Old

7 furlongs on Pro-Ride

There appears to be a lot of speed in this race which is why a horse that can lay off a bit and then make a run to the finish line makes sense to bet in this.  That horse could be Mother Ruth who is 15 to 1 on the morning line.  Mother Ruth runs for the Bob Baffert barn and returns to SoCal after running on the New York circuit.  The $425,000 buy has a record of 2-3-1 out of 6 lifetime races and should be able to handle the surface switch as she lost her first race by a head at Santa Anita this past March.  She rates a big long shot’s chance in this.   Minute Limit is going turf to all weather in this.  That shouldn’t be a problem because she has had success on an all weather surfaces before in Great Britain.  She too should benefit from the expected pace and should keep her 12 to 1 morning line odds.  Pinkarella has 2 victories and a third in 4 lifetime races.  She’d be my top choice in this because she has a huge upside, but she breaks from the 12 hole and either might et caught in a pace duel or might have too much to do at the top of the stretch.  Either way, things will be tough for her in this.

1.  Mother Ruth
2. Minute Limit
3. Pinkarella

Santa Anita – Race 9

Grade I Malibu Stakes (7:00 pm EST)
$300,000
For Three Year Olds

7 furlongs on Pro-Ride

Kinsella who runs for Todd Pletcher, is ridden by Garrett Gomez, and goes turf to Pro-Ride could be any sort.  The 2.2 million dollar buy has 2 victories and a third out of 4 lifetime races.   He’s been training forwardly and should be ready to roll after a short vacation.  It’s time to start making back some of that 2.2 mil.  Kinsella’s time to shine is Saturday in the Malibu Stakes.  New Bay is 2 for 2 at the 7 furlong distance and 3 for 4 over Santa Anita’s Pro-Ride surface.  On Dec. 6th, New Bay busted a 6 furlong work in 1:11 and change.  Papa Mandella, New Bay’s trainer, followed that up with a 4 furlong tightener on Dec. 22nd.  Like Kinsella, New Bay is a live long shot in a wide open race.  The Bob Baffert trained Mythical Power won the Grade III Lonsetar  Derby in his last race by 7 ½ lengths.  That race was on dirt, but before bettors write him off they should look at his record on the Pro-Ride.  Out of 3 races, Mythical Power has a victory, a second and a third on the Pro-Ride surface.  He’s also coming off the bench for Baffert and has been working steadily for this.  He too has a big shot in the Malibu.

•  Kinsella
• New Bay
• Mythical Power