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Malibu Win Could Mean Eclipse Award for Dr. Schivel

The race for 2021 champion sprinter looks like a tossup for now between Dr. Schivel (Violence) and Jackie's Warrior (Maclean's Music), but that could change Sunday at Santa Anita.

While Jackie's Warrior is done for the year, Dr. Schivel will try to end 2021 with a victory against brilliant 'TDN Rising Star' Flightline (Tapit) in the GI Runhappy Malibu S., where he could pick up his second Grade I win on the year and his third stakes win overall. Jackie's Warrior ended the year with four stakes wins, but just one, the GI Allen Jerkens Memorial S., at the highest level. The two met for the only time this year in the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint, where Dr. Schivel was second, losing by a nose, and Jackie's Warrior finished sixth as the 1-2 favorite.

“This is a very prestigious race,” said Dr. Schivel's trainer, Mark Glatt. “We're hopeful he does very well and that will be enough for him to earn an Eclipse Award. Obviously, if he wins it will improve his chances considerably. I am told that a lot of the voters have already cast their votes or have already made up their minds. I hope not. How much this race makes a difference to the majority of the voters is kind of hard to say.”

Though he won last year's GI Runhappy Del Mar Futurity for trainer Luis Mendez, Dr. Schivel, a $37,000 RNA as a KEEJAN short yearling, was the forgotten member of the 3-year-old male division for much of the year. After a layoff of more than nine months and after being turned over to Glatt, he returned in June and won an allowance at Santa Anita. Glatt stuck to sprints and Dr. Schivel rewarded him with victories against older horses in the GI Bing Crosby S. and the GII Santa Anita Sprint Championship S. A victory in the Breeders' Cup likely would have clinched year-end honors, but Dr. Schivel lost in what was one of the tightest photos in Breeders' Cup history.

“We got beat in the worst way possible but at least the horse showed up and ran his race, so we were pleased with that,” Glatt said. “The horse ran a heck of a race against a very good group of horses.”

In just about any other race against any other group of horses, a horse with Dr. Schivel's credentials would be the heavy favorite in a spot like the Malibu. But he will have to deal with Flightline, who, in his brief career, has shown that he could be a superstar and will likely be favored Sunday. A $1-million purchase as a yearling at Fasig-Tipton Saratoga, Flightline debuted in March with a 13 1/4-length win in a maiden race at Santa Anita. He didn't resurface until September, when he won a Del Mar allowance race by 12 3/4 lengths, earning a 114 Beyer figure. The 114 is tied with Baby Yoda (Prospective) for the fastest number handed out on the year. Baby Yoda will also run in the Malibu, but is winless in two tries since his big-figure race.

Glatt respects Flightline, but believes his rival has something to prove in what will be his stakes debut.

“He's certainly been very impressive, to say the least,” Glatt said. “He basically manhandled horses and has done things extremely easily against lesser competition. One could say that until he beats stakes caliber horses that he is a little bit unproven. Certainly, his connections are very high on the horse. They've been on the record saying he's America's horse. Unless you're the one trying to outrun him, he's been a fun horse to watch. But you never know how a horse is going to respond when looked in the eye by a horse who has comparable ability. He may very well pass that test with flying colors, but until he does it we don't know. Hopefully, at some point in the race Dr. Schivel will be looking him in the eye. If he's as good as his connections say he is I am sure he will be difficult to outrun. But that's why they run the race.”

Flavien Prat took off Dr. Schivel to ride Flightline. Juan Hernandez has picked up the mount for Glatt.

“That says a lot about what Flavien thinks of that horse,” Glatt said.

Prat also took off 'Rising Star' Triple Tap (Tapit), who is two-for-two lifetime and a half-brother to Triple Crown winner American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile). John Velazquez will be aboard for trainer Bob Baffert.

Timless Bounty (Elusive Hour), Stilleto Boy (Shackleford) and Team Merchants (Nyquist) complete the field for the seven-furlong race.

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Prat Sticks With Untested Flightline For Sunday’s Malibu Stakes

Unbeaten in two starts by a combined 26 lengths, John Sadler's freakishly good Flightline makes his stakes debut as he faces six sophomores going seven furlongs in Santa Anita's traditional Opening Day headliner, the Grade 1, $300,000 Runhappy Malibu Stakes on Sunday.

A heartbreak nose loser of the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Sprint at Del Mar Nov. 6, Mark Glatt's Dr. Schivel, who had been unbeaten in three starts this year, will try to make his case for Eclipse Sprinter of the year honors as he seeks his third career Grade 1 victory. Throw in Bob Baffert's Triple Tap, who like Flightline, is unbeaten in two starts and making his first stakes appearance, and Runhappy Malibu appears to have the makings of an instant classic.

A bay colt by Tapit out of the Indian Charlie mare Feathered, Flightline earned a 105 Beyer Speed Figure in his six furlong debut here on April 24, a race he won by 13 ¼ lengths. Idle until Sept. 5, Sadler turned him loose in a six furlong allowance at Del Mar, a race he won by 12 ¾ lengths and in which he earned an astronomical 114 Beyer.

In what is no doubt a resounding endorsement, Flavien Prat, Santa Anita's Winter/Spring Riding champ three out of the past five years, has opted to stick with Flightline over both Dr. Schivel and Triple Tap. Owned by Hronis Racing, LLC, West Point Thoroughbreds, Summer Wind Equine, LLC, Siena Racing, LLC and Woodford Racing, LLC, Flightline, who was bred in Kentucky by Summer Wind Equine and fetched $1 million as a Fasig-Tipton New York Saratoga Select Yearling in 2019, will no doubt be the focus of the racing world on Sunday.

A winner of the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity in his fourth start at age two, Dr. Schivel entered the Breeders' Cup Sprint on Nov. 6 on the heels of a pair of graded stakes wins going six furlongs—the Grade 1 Bing Crosby on July 31 and the Grade 2 Santa Anita Sprint Championship on Oct. 2, a race he dominated by 3 ¼ lengths.

Off at 4-1 in the Breeders' Cup Sprint with Prat aboard, Dr. Schivel got a perfect stalking trip from his outside post, took command a furlong out and in a desperate finish, was nailed on the money by longshot Aloha West, only to be back in front on the gallop-out past the wire. With Prat, who had been a perfect four for four on Dr. Schivel, opting to ride Flightline, Juan Hernandez, who guided the son of Violence to a 5 ¾ length maiden win in his third career start on Aug. 8, 2020, has the call.

Owned by Red Baron's Barn, LLC and Rancho Temescal, Dr. Schivel, who earned a 100 Beyer in the Breeders' Cup Sprint, is well seasoned, with an overall mark of 8-5-2-1 and earnings of $876,000.

A winner of a record four Malibu Stakes, Bob Baffert will send out Triple Tap. The colt will no doubt command considerable respect and be ridden for the first time by John Velazquez, who has committed to ride full-time at Santa Anita this winter. Owned by his breeders, Summer Wind Equine, Triple Tap, like Flightline, was an impressive first-out maiden winner who was then idle for several months prior to making his second start.

A 4 ¼ length maiden winner going seven furlongs at 1-5 on March 13, Triple Tap came back running on Nov. 5, taking a six furlong allowance by 2 ¼ lengths while earning a 97 Beyer as the 9-5 favorite. By Tapit out of the Yankee Gentleman mare Littleprincessemma, Triple Tap appears primed for a top effort.

THE RUNHAPPY MALIBU WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 10 of 11 Approximate post time 3:30 p.m. PT

Baby Yoda—Jose Ortiz—120
Timeless Bounty—Umberto Rispoli—120
Stilleto Boy—Kent Desormeaux—120
Dr. Schivel—Juan Hernandez—124
Flightline—Flavien Prat—120
Team Merchants—Mario Gutierrez—120
Triple Tap—John Velazquez–120

The Runhappy Malibu, to be run for the 75th time, is one of six graded stakes on Opening Day. Special early first post time is at 11 a.m., with admission gates opening at 9 a.m.

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Breeders’ Cup Notes: Dr. Schivel’s Perfect Del Mar Record On Line In Sprint

SPRINT

Dr. Schivel – Dr. Schivel, the alias name of the villainous character Mr. Freeze from the iconic Batman series, was on the track in the early hours this morning, well before the break, galloping 1 1/4 miles under regular exercise rider Jorge Loza. The sophomore colt has reeled off five successive victories, the past three for trainer Mark Glatt. Glatt took over training of the horse as the result of an ownership change prior to his victory in the Del Mar Futurity.

“It's difficult to get a Grade 1 winner, then inform the owners we should stop on him. But I felt it was in the horse's best interest to give him plenty of time to develop and to get over some minor things,” Glatt said. “So far, that decision has seemed like the right one.”

Dr. Schivel, unbeaten in all three of his Del Mar starts, is the second choice in the morning line at 4-1 for the six-furlong dash.

FILLY & MARE SPRINT

Bella Sofia – Proving again the adage that horses can come from anywhere, Bella Sofia, a $20,000 purchase as a 2-year-old has won four of five career starts and is the 5-2 second choice behind champion Gamine in the $1 million Filly and Mare Sprint.

As the daughter of Awesome Patriot, who stands for $2,500, she doesn't have the pedigree pizzazz of some of the competition she will face, but she has speed and has a resume that shows she knows how to win.

Rudy Rodriquez has developed Bella Sofia for the group of nine partners. She has given Rodriguez, a New York stalwart, his first graded stakes victories in four years. Her 4 ½-length victory in the Test at Saratoga in August brought Rodriquez to tears and his eyes were wet Tuesday morning at the mention of that important 7f race for 3-year-old fillies.

From the beginning, Bella Sofia has been a challenge for Rodriguez and his staff. Since all of her races have been at Belmont and Saratoga, he brought her to California two weeks before the race to give her time to acclimate to the new surroundings.

“She's a kind of quirky filly, not nervous,” Rodriguez said. “I think she just hears everything. Every little thing that she hears she just reacts very, very fast. Most of the time you've just got to be careful with her. We were jogging around, there was the sound of hitting something with a hammer and right away she started jumping all over the place. Nobody was behind her. You've just got to be alert and that's what we try to do.”

After she won the Gallant Bloom on Sept. 26, beating older horses in a graded stake, the owner opted to supplement her to the Breeders' Cup for $100,000.

“They said we're going,” Rodriguez said. “I'm just happy to be here. I know it's a lot of money, but more people have gotten into the group on the filly. They like the game.”

Bella Sofia, who is out of Love Contract by Consolidator, was sold in July 2020 at the OBS Horses of Racing Age sale. She was part of a package of seven horses that Rodriguez said cost about $500,000. So far, she is the star of the group – and his barn, too, Rodriquez said – with $542,600 in earnings.

On May 6 at Belmont at odds of 8-1, Bella Sofia broke her maiden at 6f by 11 ¼ lengths.

“She showed that she was more than just a horse,” Rodriquez said.

DIRT MILE

Ginobili – Ginobili will be the last horse to arrive for this weekend's Breeders' Cup World Championships when the 4yo son of Munnings makes the short commute from the San Luis Rey Training Center this morning. The impressive winner of the “Win and You're In” Pat O'Brien Handicap has done all his training at the nearby facility for trainer Richard Baltas, who explained, “He's run two huge races off his conditioning there, so I don't want to change a thing. Don't call it superstition, though, it's intelligence—and experience.” He's passed all the tests so far, winning at one mile, followed by the O'Brien at seven furlongs, and is coming into this race fresh. I've always thought a lot of this horse.”

Ginobili completed his final preparations last Saturday with a five-furlong drill timed in 1:00 4/5.

Life Is Good – With four wins and a narrow second in five lifetime starts, Life Is Good is one of the highest-profile horses in the 38th Breeders' Cup. He will have an opportunity to add to his already substantial reputation Saturday as the 4-5 favorite in the Dirt Mile, which has a field of eight horses. Only Gamine, at 3-5 in the Filly and Mare Sprint, has lower odds on the morning line.

WinStar Farm and China Horse Club purchased the Into Mischief colt for $525,000 as a yearling in 2019 and sent him to Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert in California. He emerged as a top Triple Crown prospect with wins in the Sham and the San Felipe at Santa Anita Park, but went to the sidelines on March 20 with an ankle chip in his left hind leg. The chip was removed by surgery.

In June, Life Is Good was transferred to the care of trainer Todd Pletcher in New York. He returned to the races at Saratoga where his unbeaten record ended at three at the Graveyard of Favorites when he was beaten a neck in the seven-furlong Allen Jerkens Memorial on Aug 28. Life is Good answered that loss with a dominating 5 ½-length victory at odds of 1-20 in the mile Kelso Handicap Sept. 25 at Belmont Park.

“He's a super-talented horse,” Pletcher said. “He's shown that all of these races and he always breezes very impressively. He appears to be very talented and fast. Hopefully he has the ability to continue to carry that speed over a route of ground.”

Even though Life Is Good easily dispatched the competition in the four-horse Kelso, Pletcher said he and the connections did not flirt with the possibility of sending him to the 1 ¼ miles $6 million Classic.

“We've pretty much been focused on the Dirt Mile,” Pletcher said. “We just felt like, considering that he missed a good portion of the middle part of the year, that we were giving up too much recency and seasoning to be ready to fire his best shot in the Classic. We have confidence that the horse will handle more distance in the future, but we just felt like for right now the Dirt Mile is the correct spot.”

Life Is Good shipped from New York on Sunday. Pletcher said Life Is Good and his other horses have settled in well at Del Mar. He galloped Tuesday morning and Pletcher said he got over the track well.

Monday afternoon, Life Is Good drew post five in the Dirt Mile, a spot that Pletcher said was fine for him.

“He's pretty much in the middle,” Pletcher said. “We'll just play it off the break.”

Pletcher has started five horses in the Dirt Mile and has a record of 1-1-1. His winner was Liam's Map in 20 15.

Irad Ortiz Jr., who won the 2019 Dirt Mile on Spun to Run, will ride.

JUVENILE FILLIES

Ain't Easy – Unbeaten stakes winner Ain't Easy, one of the early prerace favorites for Friday's $2 million NetJets Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, will have surgery on her left ankle Wednesday after X-rays Monday showed a tiny chip. Trainer Phil D'Amato termed the procedure “a simple one, with an expected quick recovery.” Dr. Ryan Carpenter will perform the surgery.

The daughter of leading sire Into Mischief had some heat on her ankle following a gallop over the main track Monday. “She had worked on Saturday and came out of it fine, then walked on Sunday and was doing well,” D'Amato said. “It was a difficult call to make (to her owners), but we had to do the right thing for the horse.”

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Cal Breds Take Center Stage In California Distaff, California Flag At Santa Anita

California-breds will be in Santa Anita's stakes spotlight next weekend with the presentation of the $100,000 California Distaff Handicap Saturday and the $100,000 California Flag Handicap Sunday at the Arcadia, Calif., track. Both are part of the lucrative Golden State Series for California-bred or sired runners.

Trainers Ben Cecil, Mark Glatt, and Peter Miller each have two nominated among the 16 for the Distaff, for fillies and mares three and up at about 6 ½ furlongs on the downhill turf course.

Doug O'Neill has three of the 19 nominated to the California Flag, for three-year-olds and up also at about 6 ½ furlongs on turf.

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