Taiba, Head of the Forbidden Kingdom Malibu

Last Taiba compete at Santa Anita . Park, he won the Runhappy Santa Anita Derby (G1) in just the second match of his life. He’s back on December 26 Runhappy Malibu Stakes (G1) is more seasoned and while he’s no longer undefeated, Taiba can hold his Santa Anita record perfectly.

For 3-year-olds on the traditional opening day of Santa Anita, the 7-hair Malibu is often seen as the unofficial start to the 4-year-old’s season. Flight route won the 2021 Malibu before hosting a 2022 campaign that could potentially earn him the title of Horse of the Year.

Bob Baffert, Taiba’s coach, also more messy in the race. Baffert will have his fifth Malibu win, after Factor In 2011, shake it up in 2013, McKinzie in 2018, and Quack in 2020.

Taiba and Messier completed either one in the 1/8-mile Santa Anita Derby while being coached by Tim Yakteen, who took over not long before Baffert began his suspension due to Medina spirit positive test result after the 2021 Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (G1). The two ponies completed their substitutions in the Kentucky Derby, and Baffert later resumed training them.

Zedan Racing Stables owns Medina Spirit and operates Taiba, the half-Kentucky son of gunman who cost $1.7 million when purchased from Fasig-Tipton’s 2021 Gulf Sale, its 2-year-old pick in the training sale. In three starts since the Kentucky Derby, he’s finished second in TVG.com Haskell Stakes (G1), won the Pennsylvania Derby (G1) and finished third behind Flightline and Olympic in the Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1), he tried his hand at older opponents for the first time.

“He slipped as he left the gate and lost a bit, but he ran a great race,” Baffert said of the Taiba’s Breeders’ Cup Classic attempt. “He’s got so much heart. You see him at work in the morning, you’d never think he’s that good. But when he walks in the gate, he’s a different horse.”

Mike Smith has ridden the Taiba in the Breeders’ Cup and has sat on ponies five of his six starts. Smith returned to Malibu, and Taiba drew a 6. Although he hadn’t played just once since his debut, in that six-way race, Taiba scored 7 and a half.

Messier has started once since the Kentucky Derby. He soon took the lead in a 6 1/2 long grant option claim event at Keeneland November 5, but lost and finished last after the winner Nakatomi . A kid yearning for $470,000 and an Ontario half-brother of Empire maker Messier is owned by a nine-member partnership led by SF Racing, Starlight Racing and Madaket Stables.

John Velazquez has ridden Messier since teaming up with the foal to win the 15-mile 1 1/16-mile Robert B. Lewis Stakes (G3) at Santa Anita on February 6 and back riding from column 2. As a 2-year-old in 2021, Messier won the seven-part Bob Hope Stakes (G2) at Del Mar and finished second in 1 1/16 miles Los Alamitos Futurity (G2).

Forbidden Kingdom , who likes to set the pace, finished second in Bob Hope for coach Richard Mandella. Kentucky’s half-blood son of American Pharoah then acquired a seven-feather San Vicente Stock (G2) and a 1/16-mile San Felipe Share (G2) in Santa Anita. Forbidden Kingdom then finished sixth in the Santa Anita Derby, fifth in the six-distance Santa Anita Sprint (G2) Sprint Championship and third in the claimant’s six-distance allowance option. Juan Hernandez will ride him from the tracks.

Coach Wesley Ward entered Nakatomi in Malibu, the sprinter’s first start in California and his first in seven long distances. Kentucky’s half-blood son of firing line won two of its three starts in 2022 and won the 2021 Bowman Mill Share on six stretchers at Keeneland. Tyler Gaffalione, who rode him in both the 2022 and Bowman Mill wins, was named above Nakatomi from 4th place.

Malibu has attracted two other athletes from out of state who will make their California debut: lift gold and Strava . Dallas Stewart coached them and named them Joel Rosario on Hoist the Gold from lesson 5 and Flavien Prat on Strava from lesson 8.

Hoist the Gold, a Kentucky half-blood of mines placed second in the October 22 Perryville Stake in Keeneland and third in the July 3 Maxfield Overnight Stake in Churchill Downs, both in the seven feathers. With the exception of one misplaced attempt at the one mile, Hoist the Gold only competed in sprints.

A Kentucky half-blood of into naughty Strava did some of his best races at the one mile, winning two optional daytime races and finishing third in the 14 August Ellis Park Derby. I broke my daughter in the six-distance race at Keeneland and also finished third in the seven-distance Harrods Creek Stakes at Churchill after wobbling slightly at the start.

Completing the field is the first and second Zia Park Derby perfect flight (Ricardo Santana Jr., lesson 7) and understand (Ramon Vazquez, lesson 3), both coached by Peter Miller, and Straight No Chaser (Edwin Maldonado, lesson 9), coached by Dan Blacker.