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Speed Boat Beach Takes The Malibu For the Three Amigos

Favored Speed Boat Beach (Bayern) led home a one-two finish for Bob Baffert in the GI Malibu S. at Santa Anita Tuesday, putting away stablemate Hejazi (Bernardini) down the lane to give the trainer his record-tying sixth win in the race–and third in the last four years–and longtime owners Mike Pegram, Paul Weitman and Karl Watson their first victory in the Arcadia track's traditional opening-day feature.

“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, who topped the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic sale on Gary Young's bid of $3.55 million on behalf of Amr Zedan, won the break and had the lead in the early strides, but Speed Boat Beach, last seen finishing fourth after setting a quick tempo in the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint, rushed up to prompt his stablemate through fractions of :22.21 and :44.42. He took a narrow lead into the far turn, but Hejazi came right back and looked to be traveling with authority only to have Speed Boat Beach cut the corner into the lane and scamper clear, leaving Hejazi to chase in vain.

“He was really sharp early,” said winning jockey Flavien Prat, who rode Flightline to victory in last year's Malibu. “I got him to relax and we took a little breather. Around the turn, he really went well. He didn't mind being on the inside. He was really in a good rhythm today.”

Speed Boat Beach stretched out to a mile to win the GIII Cecil B. DeMille S. over the Del Mar lawn last December, but was sidelined nearly 10 months after that effort. He returned with a gallant runner-up effort in the six-furlong GII Santa Anita Sprint Championship Sept. 30, earning a berth in the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint where he settled for fourth after setting the pace.

“His issue is that he has always been very aggressive,” Baffert said of Speed Boat Beach. “He's aggressive in the mornings and aggressive in his races. We have been working on getting him relaxed, a lot of schooling. I've got a great team, my riders and my assistants they have been working him a lot. Prat worked him for me today and he actually worked really well with Prat. He got along with him really well, got him to come off the bit a little bit. I was worried about my other horses they were going to be in there with him.”

Of the runner-up, Baffert added, “Hejazi is a serious horse. He was a little bit keen today. We weren't able to train this last week. Juan [Hernandez] was telling me he couldn't get him to relax very well so he used himself up a little bit. I see big things for him down the road.”

Pedigree Notes:

Speed Boat Beach is one of four graded winners–and the first top-level victor–for GI Breeders' Cup Classic winner Bayern, who now stands in South Korea. The winner is the first foal out of the unraced Sophia Mia, who has a yearling filly by Volatile–who sold for $140,000 at the Keeneland September sale–and a weanling filly by Army Mule. The mare, a daughter of multiple graded placed Amie's Dini, RNA'd for $390,000 at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton November sale and was bred to Not This Time this year. Her 2-year-old daughter Midnight Snack (Distorted Humor) sold to Alistair Roden on behalf of MKW Racing and Breeding for $485,000 at this year's OBS April sale.

Tuesday, Santa Anita
MALIBU S.-GI, $301,000, Santa Anita, 12-26, 3yo, 7f, 1:21.70, ft.
1–SPEED BOAT BEACH, 120, c, 3, by Bayern
                1st Dam: Sophia Mia, by Pioneerof the Nile
                2nd Dam: Amie's Dini, by Bandini
                3rd Dam: Run Kate Run, by Cherokee Run
   1ST GRADE I WIN. ($12,000 Ylg '21 OBSOCT; $200,000 2yo
'22 OBSMAR). O-Michael E. Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul
Weitman; B-Caperlane Farm (FL); T-Bob Baffert; J-Flavien
Prat. $180,000. Lifetime Record: 7-4-1-0, $498,000.
Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the
   eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or the free
   Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Hejazi, 120, c, 3, Bernardini–G Note, by Medaglia d'Oro.
($3,550,000 2yo '22 EASMAY). O-Zedan Racing Stables, Inc.;
B-Chester Broman & Mary R. Broman (NY); T-Bob Baffert.
$60,000.
3–Giant Mischief, 120, c, 3, Into Mischief–Vertical Oak, by
Giant Oak. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE, 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE.
($475,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-Bakster Farm LLC, Big Easy
Racing LLC, Kueber Racing LLC, Spendthrift Farm LLC, Steve
Landers Racing LLC, Stonestreet Stables LLC, Ten Strike
Racing, Titletown Racing Stables, Winners Win, M. Caruso,
Dubb, and M. Schwartz; B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred

Holdings LLC (KY); T-Brad H. Cox. 'TDN Rising Star' $36,000.
Margins: 1HF, 3, 2 1/4. Odds: 1.60, 2.10, 10.90.
Also Ran: Damon's Mound, Raise Cain, Fort Bragg, Sharp Aza Tack. Scratched: Matanzas Creek.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

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Defunded is Dominant in Native Diver

Sunday, Del Mar
NATIVE DIVER S.-GIII, $150,500, Del Mar, 11-27, 3yo/up,
1 1/8m, 1:50.12, ft.
1–DEFUNDED, 125, g, 4, by Dialed In
                1st Dam: Wind Caper (MSP, $194,286), by Touch Gold
                2nd Dam: Wind Tunnel, by Summer Squall
                3rd Dam: Tivli, by Mt. Livermore
($210,000 Ylg '19 KEESEP). O-Michael E. Pegram, Karl Watson
& Paul Weitman; B-Athens Woods LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert;
J-Edwin A. Maldonado. $90,000. Lifetime Record: GISW,
13-5-3-1, $608,100. *1/2 to Lookin At Roses (Lookin At Lucky),
SP, $251,910. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree
or free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Azul Coast, 121, h, 5, Super Saver–Sky Treasure, by Sky Mesa.
($150,000 Wlg '17 KEENOV; $320,000 Ylg '18 KEESEP).
O-Michael E. Pegram, Karl Watson & Paul Weitman; B-SF
Bloodstock LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert. $30,000.
3–Newgrange, 120, c, 3, Violence–Bella Chianti, by Empire
Maker. ($125,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP; $325,000 3yo '22 FTKHRA).
O-David A. Bernsen, LLC, Little Red Feather Racing &
Rockingham Ranch; B-Jack Mandato & Black Rock
Thoroughbreds (KY); T-Philip D'Amato. $18,000.
Margins: 4 3/4, 3/4, 1 3/4. Odds: 0.70, 8.30, 4.90.
Also Ran: Go Joe Won, Tizamagician, Parnelli. Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

Grade I winner Defunded, who skipped a shot at the Breeders' Cup, kept it rolling with a popular score in the GIII Native Diver S. Sunday at Del Mar.

A second-out graduate last March at Santa Anita, the gelding was fourth in both the GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby and GIII Pat Day Mile S. before running second in the GIII Affirmed S. and GIII Los Alamitos Derby. Scoring a pair of blowout allowance/optional claiming victories, he was a hard-fought runner-up in the GI Hollywood Gold Cup S. May 30, but finished off the board in the GII San Diego H. and GII Pat O'Brien S. here this summer.

Going wire to wire to capture the GI Awesome Again S. last out Oct. 1 in Arcadia, the chestnut was knocked down to odds-on in this spot and broke awkwardly. Soon rushing up to press the pace three wide, Defunded moved into second past a :23.62 quarter and drew alongside the longshot pacesetter through a sharp half in :46.41. Poking his head in front five-sixteenths out, the favorite kicked clear into the lane and bounded away to score as much the best, well ahead of stablemate Azul Coast.

“He came away from there a little bit slow, but I wasn't concerned. This horse doesn't need to be in front,” said winning rider Edwin Maldonado. “He's won from off the pace before. I rode him with confidence all the way. On the [far] turn he wanted to lean on the horse inside us, but I got him going straight and it all worked out from there.”

“Edwin said Defunded was kind of wanting to sit back and when that happens and they sit back when the gate opens, then you're going the wrong way,” added Jimmy Barnes, assistant to winning trainer Bob Baffert. “Luckily they were going slow enough he was able to recover and get back in a good position. He's always had talent. It's just that he's been a little aggressive in the paddock on us at times. But he went through the paddock good, he went to the gate good so maybe we've got him straightened out.”

Pedigree Notes:

One of 22 stakes winners, eight graded stakes winners and three Grade I winners for Darby Dan's Dialed In, Defunded is the third black-type performer out of her four-time stakes-placed dam, a daughter of a SW Wind Tunnel. That mare is a half to GSW Reunited (Dixie Union), who produced MGISW Code of Honor (Noble Mission {GB}). Bought by the winner's breeder for $37,000 at Keeneland November in 2016, Wind Caper has an unraced 3-year-old Maclean's Music filly, an unraced juvenile Lookin At Lucky filly named Capital Lights and a yearling full-sister to the winner named Ringy Dingy who sold to Oracle Bloodstock for $200,000 at Fasig-Tipton October.

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Havnameltdown Gives Baffert a Ninth Best Pal

Sent off the 1-2 chalk on the strength of a 2 1/4-length debut victory going five furlongs July 24, Mike Pegram, Karl Watson & Paul Weitman's Havnameltdown (Uncaptured) was made to work for it, but in the end proved too classy for his rivals in Sunday's GIII Best Pal S., coming away late to take it by open lengths.

Drawn widest of all, the $16,000 OBS October Yearling turned $200,000 OBS April breezer (:9 4/5) pinged the stalls and showed good early speed to get down into the three path, where he cut the opening quarter-mile in a sharp :21.74 despite having to do some work. Maintaining a narrow advantage into the turn, the Florida-bred raced in the two path and faced a fresh challenge from $400,000 OBS March graduate Agency (Bolt d'Oro), who rolled up three wide, looking every bit poised to capitalize on the favorite's early exertions. The latter got to within about a half-length with three-sixteenths of a mile to travel, but Havnameltdown had something in the locker and kicked home about 2 1/2 lengths to the good. Longshot Man Child (Creative Cause) rounded out the trifecta. Havnameltdown was providing trainer Bob Baffert with a record-extending ninth Best Pal, but first since Klimt (Quality Road) in 2016. The same ownership group won the 2009 Best Pal with future champion 2- and 3-year-old male Lookin At Lucky (Smart Strike).

“I was outside and my plan was to stay second or third, but he was real aggressive out of the gate,” said winning rider Juan Hernandez. “He wanted to go to the front so I just let him run and do his thing. At the quarter pole he was getting kind of lazy so I woke him up a bit and he picked it up really well and got to the wire.”

Pedigree Notes:

Havnameltdown is the 11th stakes winner and sixth graded winner for Uncaptured, who was sold by Ocala Stud to South Korea to continue his stud career in late 2019 and covered a total of 137 mares in his first two seasons there, including 92 in 2020. The 12-year-old is a son of Lion Heart, whose record as a sire of sires–particularly in Florida–is well documented, as his son Kantharos achieved great success before being moved to Hill 'n' Dale. The latter's son Bucchero is off to a promising start at Pleasant Acres Stallions. Produced by a half-sister to three full black-type winners and to the dam of 2020 GIII Selene S. winner Two Sixty (Uncaptured), Havnameltdown has a yearling half-sister by Tapiture. Ashley's Babe was barren to both World of Trouble and Maximus Mischief for 2022 and was most recently bred to the latter.

Sunday, Del Mar
BEST PAL S.-GIII, $202,500, Del Mar, 8-14, 2yo, 6f, 1:10.22, ft.
1–HAVNAMELTDOWN, 120, c, 2, by Uncaptured
1st Dam: Ashley's Babe, by Put It Back
2nd Dam: Charms Way, by Salt Lake
3rd Dam: Remember Midnight, by Cure the Blues
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($16,000 Ylg '21 OBSOCT; $200,000 2yo '22 OBSAPR). O-Michael E Pegram, Karl Watson & Paul Weitman; B-Katherine S Devall (FL); T-Bob Baffert; J-Juan J Hernandez. $120,000. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $168,000. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Agency, 120, c, 2, Bolt d'Oro–Queen of May, by Bernardini. 1ST BLACK-TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK-TYPE. ($100,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP; $400,000 2yo '22 OBSMAR). O-Muir Hut Stables LLC; B-Twin Creeks Farm (KY); T-Mark Glatt. $40,000.
3–Man Child, 120, c, 2, Creative Cause–Neck of the Moon, by More Than Ready. 1ST BLACK-TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK-TYPE. ($45,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-California Racing Partners, Ciaglia Racing LLC, Michelle Hanson, Richard C Pearson, Timothy J Husted & Robert Drenk; B-Dell Ridge Farm LLC (KY); T-Ryan Hanson. $24,000.
Margins: 2HF, 5 3/4, 1 1/4. Odds: 0.50, 9.40, 28.50.
Also Ran: Pop d'Oro, Jin Tong, Fleet Feet, Mardukas, Arman, King Adrock, Quagmire Magic. Scratched: Kangaroo Court. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Stilleto Boy Aims for Gold Cup Glory

Steve Moger's Stilleto Boy (Shackleford), who has been knocking on the door to top-level success, will attempt to gain that first Grade I victory while facing four rivals in the GI Gold Cup at Santa Anita Monday. The chestnut gelding, 7-5 on the morning line, was second in last year's GI Awesome Again S. and third in the GI Malibu S., GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational, and GI Santa Anita H. before scoring a front-running victory in the Apr. 30 GII Californian S. last time out.

Pegram, Watson and Weitman's Defunded (Dialed In) looked poised for big things when second in last year's GIII Affirmed S. and GIII Los Alamitos Derby, but went to the sidelines following an optional-claimer romp at Del Mar in August. The 4-year-old, 3-1 on the morning line, resurfaced with a powerful victory in a one-mile optional claimer at Santa Anita May 8 in his first start for trainer Sean McCarthy.

Fox Hill Farms and Siena Farm's Royal Ship (Brz) (Midshipman) missed by just a head to subsequent G1 Dubai World Cup winner Country Grammer (Tonalist) in last year's Gold Cup. He returned from eight months on the sidelines to score a front-running victory in the Apr. 10 John Shear S. last time out.

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