Santa Anita: Grade 1’s La Brea, Malibu set for Sunfay

By Victor Ryan —-

WIDE-OPEN FIELD OF 11 3-YEAR-OLD FILLIES SET FOR GRADE I TEST IN THE LA BREA STAKES GOING 7 FURLONGS ON OPENING DAY AT SANTA ANITA PARK NEXT SUNDAY

The traditional day-after-Christmas start to the Santa Anita Classic Meet was postponed to Sunday due to expected inclement weather in the area

ARCADIA, CA (Dec. 21, 2025)—Florda-based stakes winners Five G and Her Laugh come west in search of a coveted Grade I win against nine other rivals in next Sunday’s $300,000 La Brea Stakes for 3-year-old fillies on opening day of the Santa Anita Park Classic Meet. Originally scheduled for this Friday, the La Brea and the rest of Santa Anita’s blockbuster opening day program was pushed back to Sunday due to a series of rainstorms that’s expected to hit the area this week.

Contested at seven furlongs on the main track, the La Brea attracted a deep and contentious cast that also includes such local hopes as Silent Law and Usha for trainer Bob Baffert, promising up-and-comer Formula Rossa for trainer Mark Glatt, two-turn stakes winner Simply Joking for trainer Michael McCarthy, and class-rising Magnificat for trainer Richard Mandella.

Five G, trained by George Weaver, will be making her first start since March when she won the GII Gulfstream Park Oaks going 1 1/16 miles. By Vekoma, she also won the one-mile Cash Run Stakes at Gulfstream in January prior to the layoff. This will be her first time sprinting since her debut last August at Saratoga. Owned by Gatsas Stables, Five G enters with a record of 6: 3-2-0 and $393,740 in earnings. She’ll be ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr.

Her Laugh ships in for trainer Riley Mott and owner-breeder Grantley Acres. Most recently, the Practical Joke filly returned from a nearly eight-month layoff and finished second in a second level allowance going 6 ½ furlongs at Churchill Downs on Nov. 14. That was her first start for Mott after previously being trained by Whit Beckman. The effort earned an 85 Beyer Speed Figure for Her Laugh, which puts her squarely in the mix for her second start off the layoff. Jockey Jose Ortiz will ride Her Laugh.

Silent Law most recently crossed the wire second in the GIII Chillingworth going 6 ½ furlongs on Oct. 4 at Santa Anita but was later awarded the victory after first-place finisher Tamara was disqualified. The Tiz the Law filly’s only other stakes win, last year’s six-furlong Anoakia Stakes, also came at Santa Anita. Owned by CSLR Racing Partners LLC, Silent Law will have Joel Rosario in the irons for the first time.

Formula Rossa won her first two starts, both at six furlongs, by a combined 10 ½ lengths. She then made her stakes debut for Glatt in the GIII Rancho Bernardo going 6 ½ furlongs on Aug. 24 at Del Mar. The daughter of Vekoma dueled on a sharp pace that day before yielding late to finish second by 3 ½ lengths behind highly regarded female sprinter Sweet Azteca. Owned by Muir Hut Stables, Formula Rossa will be ridden by Mike Smith.

Simply Joking will be cutting back to one turn for McCarthy after finishing second in the GIII Bayakoa going one mile at Del Mar on Nov. 30. In January, when trained by Whit Beckman, Simply Joking earned her lone stakes win in the Silverbulletday Stakes going two turns at Fair Grounds. The daughter of Practical Joke, owned by Berkels 0813 LLC, CMNWLTH LLC, Grantlay Acres and Ryan Conner, will have jockey Kazushi Kimura in the irons.

Magnificat makes her stakes debut in her fourth career start for Mandella. A homebred for Spendthrift Farm, the Omaha Beach filly broke her maiden going six furlongs on Oct. 25 at Santa Anita and came back to win a first-level allowance going 6 ½ furlongs at Del Mar on Nov. 16. She’ll have regular rider Mirco Demuro aboard.

The La Brea Stakes is one of six graded stakes set for an 11-race card on opening day at The Great Race Place. Also on the program is the Grade I Malibu for 3-year-olds going seven furlongs, Grade I American Oaks for 3-year-old fillies at 1 ¼ miles on turf; GII Laffit Pincay Jr. at 1 1/16 miles on dirt; GII Mathis Mile for 3-year-olds on turf and GIII San Gabriel at 1 1/8 miles on turf.

THE GI LA BREA STAKES WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Simply Joking—Kazushi Kimura—120
So There She Was—Antonio Fresu—120
Five G—Irad Ortiz Jr.—122
Artisma—Edwin Maldonado—120
Usha—Juan Hernandez—120
Brilliantly—Flavien Prat—120
Schilflied—Tyler Baze—120
Her Laugh—Jose Ortiz—120
Formula Rossa—Mike Smith—120
Magnificat—Mirco Demuro—120
Silent Law—Joel Rosario—120

First post next Sunday is 11 a.m. PT. Admission gates open at 9 a.m.

BARNES, CORNUCOPIAN LEAD A FIELD OF 10 3-YEAR-OLDS SEEKING GRADE I GLORY IN 7-FURLONG MALIBU STAKES ON OPENING DAY AT SANTA ANITA PARK, NOW SET FOR NEXT SUNDAY

The traditional day-after-Christmas start to the Santa Anita Classic Meet was postponed to Sunday due to expected inclement weather in the area

ARCADIA, CA (Dec. 21, 2025)—Barnes and promising comebacker Cornucopian headline a field of 10 3-year-olds seeking a coveted first Grade I win in next Sunday’s $300,000 Malibu Stakes for sophomores going seven furlongs on Opening Day of the Santa Anita Classic Meet. Originally scheduled for this Friday, the Malibu and the rest of Santa Anita’s blockbuster Opening Day program was pushed back to Sunday due to a series of rainstorms that’s expected to hit the area this week.

Barnes and Cornucopian are both trained Bob Baffert, a six-time winner of the Malibu. They will be joined in the lineup by stablemates Goal Oriented, Midland Money and Madaket Road for the Hall of Fame trainer.

Barnes got back on the beam last out when airing by 8 ¼ lengths in the GIII Perryville Stakes going seven furlongs on Oct. 18 at Keeneland. The victory snapped a four-race losing streak for the colt by Into Mischief. Previously, Barnes earned minor awards in the GII Gallant Bloom at Parx, GI H. Allen Jerkens at Saratoga and both the GI Santa Anita Derby and GII San Felipe at Santa Anita.

Barnes enters with a record of 7: 3-1-1 and $557,750 in earnings for owner Zedan Racing. He will be ridden by Jose Ortiz, who was also aboard in the Perryville.

Lightly raced Cornucopian will be making his first start since April 27 when finishing second in an allowance/optional claimer going one mile at Aqueduct. Also by Into Mischief, Cornucopian served notice in his debut in February at Oaklawn when romping by 5 ¾ lengths in a six-furlong maiden event. Five weeks later, he went straight into the deep when testing the Grade I Arkansas Derby going 1 1/8 miles at Oaklawn. That day Cornucopian dueled on a wicked pace before fading to fourth.

Cornucopian will have the services of top jockey Flavien Prat for the first time. He is owned by an extensive ownership group that includes SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables and partners.

Among those looking to upend the Baffert quintet are Modus Bestia for trainer Richard Baltas and Berlin Wall for trainer Steve Knapp. Both will be making their stakes debut.

Modus Bestia emerged in the second half of the season for Baltas with consecutive wins sprinting at Del Mar. A $500,000 auction buy as a yearling, the Maclean’s Music colt broke his maiden in September going 6 ½ furlongs at the Del Mar summer meet, then came right back to clear his first-level allowance condition going six furlongs at the Del Mar fall meet on Nov. 1.

Modus Bestia owns a career-best 99 Beyer Speed Figure, which puts him squarely in the mix with the Baffert colts. Modus Bestia, who is owned by Calvin Nguyen and Joey C. Tran, will have Edwin Maldonado.

Berlin Wall earned a shot in the Malibu for Knapp with a powerful 7 ¾-length win sprinting against fellow California-breds in a first-level allowance on Nov. 16 at Del Mar. By Practical Joke, Berlin Wall is 5: 2-0-1 with $144,720 in earnings for owners Thomsen Racing LLC and Thomas E. Halasz. He will be ridden by Tiago Pereira.

The Malibu Stakes is one of six graded stakes set for an 11-race card on opening day at The Great Race Place. Also on the program is the Grade I La Brea for 3-year-old fillies going seven furlongs, Grade I American Oaks for 3-year-old fillies at 1 ¼ miles on turf; GII Laffit Pincay Jr. at 1 1/16 miles on dirt; GII Mathis Mile for 3-year-olds on turf and GIII San Gabriel at 1 1/8 miles on turf.

THE GI MALIBU STAKES WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Modus Bestia—Edwin Maldonado—120
Spendard—Tyler Baze—120
Madaket Road—Irad Ortiz Jr.—120
Speedy Wilson—Armando Ayuso—120
Midland Money—Juan Hernandez—120
Berlin Wall—Tiago Pereira—120
Smooth Cruisein—Kyle Frey—120
Cornucopian—Flavien Prat—120
Barnes—Jose Ortiz—122
Goal Oriented—Joel Rosario—120

First post next Sunday is 11 a.m. PT. Admission gates open at 9 a.m.

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