Madaket Road, Streaking California-Bred Man O Rose Lead Grade III Palos Verdes Stakes

By Victor Ryan —-

MADAKET ROAD, STREAKING CALIFORNIA-BRED MAN O ROSE LEAD GRADE III PALOS VERDES STAKES GOING 6 FURLONGS AT SANTA ANITA SUNDAY

ARCADIA, CA (Feb. 9, 2026)—Streaking California-bred Man O Rose steps up in class for trainer Jeff Mullins and Madaket Road, fourth in the Grade I Malibu on opening day of the Santa Anita Classic Meet, returns for trainer Bob Baffert in Sunday’s Grade III, $100,000 Palos Verdes Stakes for older horses going six furlongs.

In the seven-furlong Malibu for 3-year-olds on Dec. 28, Madaket Road led after the opening half mile but weakened in the stretch to check in fourth. A 4-year-old colt by Quality Road, Madaket Road last year was runner-up in three graded stakes including the Grade I Woody Stephens going seven furlongs at Saratoga. Owned by SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables and partners, Madaket Road will be ridden by Kazushi Kimura for the first time.

Man O Rose makes his graded stakes debut after four consecutive stakes wins against statebreds. Most recently, the 5-year-old gelding by Stanford romped by nine lengths in the six-furlong Don Valpredo California Cup Sprint on Jan. 17. A homebred for B and B Zeitz Stables, Man O Rose is 18: 11-3-0 with $572,965 in earnings. He’ll be ridden by Emisael Jaramillo.

Pilot Commander will join stablemate Madaket Road in the Palos Verdes for Baffert. On Jan. 16 at Santa Anita, Pilot Commander returned from a 9 ½-month layoff and was beaten a neck by veteran graded winner Midnight Mammoth in a high-level allowance going seven furlongs. Last March, the 5-year-old horse by Justify won the GIII San Carlos going seven furlongs before hitting the sidelines. He is 8: 4-3-0 with $254,800 in earnings for owners CSLR Racing Partners. Pilot Commander have Florent Geroux aboard for the first time.

THE GRADE III PALOS VERDES WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS

IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 8 of 9 – Approximate post time 4 p.m. PT

Man O Rose—Emisael Jaramillo—122
Pilot Commander—Florent Geroux—124
Modus Bestia—Antonio Fresu—120
Smooth Cruisein—Tiago Pereira—120
Listenupshance—Tyler Baze—120
Madaket Road—Kazushi Kimura—120

First post Sunday is 12:30 p.m. PT.

About The Stronach Group and 1/ST

The Stronach Group is a world-class technology, entertainment and real estate development company with Thorouhbred racing and pari-mutuel wagering at the core. The Stronach Group’s 1/ST business (pronounced “First”) is North America’s preeminent Thoroughbred racing and pari-mutuel wagering company and includes the 1/ST RACING & GAMING, 1/ST CONTENT, 1/ST TECHNOLOGY and 1/ST EXPERIENCE businesses, while advocating for and driving the 1/ST HORSE CARE mission. 1/ST represents The Stronach Group’s continued movement toward redefining Thoroughbred racing and the ecosystem that drives it. 1/ST RACING & GAMING drives the best-in-class racing operations and gaming offerings at the company’s premier racetracks, training centers and premier events including: Santa Anita Park and San Luis Rey Downs (California); Gulfstream Park – home of the Pegasus World Cup and Palm Meadows Thoroughbred Training Center (Florida); Laurel Park, The Preakness Stakes, Rosecroft Raceway and Bowie Training Center (Maryland). 1/ST CONTENT is the operating group for 1/ST’s media and content companies including: Monarch Content Management, Elite, TSG Global Wagering Solutions (GWS) and 1/ST TV. 1/ST TECHNOLOGY is racing’s largest racing and gaming technology company offering world-class products via its AmTote, Xpressbet, 1/ST BET, XB SELECT, XB NET, PariMAX and Betmix brands. 1/ST EXPERIENCE blends the worlds of sports, entertainment and hospitality through innovative content development, elevated national and local venue management and hospitality, strategic partnerships, sponsorships, and procurement development. As the advocate for critical industry reforms and by making meaningful investments into aftercare programs for retired horses and jockeys, 1/ST HORSE CARE represents The Stronach Group’s commitment to achieving the highest level of horse and rider care and safety standards in Thoroughbred racing on and off the track. The Stronach Group’s TSG Properties is responsible for the development of the company’s live, play and work communities surrounding its racing venues including: The Village at Gulfstream Park (Florida) and Paddock Pointe (Maryland). For more information, visit www.1st.com or follow @1ST_racing on Twitter or @1stracing on Instagram and Facebook.