Malibu Stakes 2015 at Santa Anita

Las Vegas, NV - The Grade 1 Malibu Stakes will take place this Saturday, December 26 from Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. Three year olds will be featured when they take to Santa Anita's main track and race seven furlongs for the winner's share of the $300,000 purse.

Seven three year olds will take to the track in the Malibu Stakes - race 8 on Santa Anita's busy Saturday cards. Post time is 4:00 PM. Let's take a glance into the past performances of all seven entries for this intriguing Grade 1 stakes.

2015 Malibu Stakes Race Favorites

Runhappy 6-5 - impressive Laura Wohlers trained colt and future champion male sprinter has seven career starts with six wins - the only blemish was a ninth in his second career start - the Grade 3 LeComte Stakes back in January. He has reeled off five straight wins since. Last time out was a career defining win in the Breeders' Cup Sprint after wins in the Grade 3 Ogden Phoenix Stakes October 2, the Grade 1 King's Bishop Stakes by four lengths at this distance at Saratoga August 29 and two Allowance Optional Claiming scores in July. Runhappy looks to close out a stellar year with a win Saturday and has looked sensational in works ahead of this week including three bullet works. He leaves from gate 4 with Gary Stevens guiding the overwhelming morning line favorite.

Marking 5-2 - Kiaran McLaughlin trained colt has just two career starts with two wins - an Allowance by an impressive 5 1/2 lengths last time out November 4 at Aqueduct and a maiden score at first asking September 23. Marking hasn't been touched so far and hopes to remain perfect in his step up in competition. Jose Lezcano rides the intriguing morning line second choice from gate 2.

Malibu Stakes 2015 | Remaining Contenders

Watershed 4-1 - has only three career starts for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin with two wins. Last time out was a scintillating Allowance score at this distance at Keeneland October 15 after an OK fourth in the Grade 1 King's Bishop Stakes at Saratoga August 29 and a maiden score by four lengths at first asking August 7. Watershed has been competitive so far and looks for a major breakthrough Saturday from post 3. Joel Rosario has the mount on the third betting choice.

Lord Nelson 5-1 - Bob Baffert trained colt has three wins and a second place finish in eight career starts including a wins in the Grade 2 San Vicente Stakes here at this distance over Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Texas Red February 1 and by an impressive 6 3/4 lengths in the minor Speakeasy Stakes October 13, 2014. He hits the track for the first time since a fourth in the Grade 3 Pat Day Mile at Churchill Downs in May. That result followed a second in the Grade 3 Bay Shore Stakes in April and another fourth in the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes in March. Lord Nelson has been good in the past and will be after his second graded stakes score Saturday from the outside post 7. Rafael Bejarano will be in the saddle.

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El Kabeir 8-1 - John Terranova trained colt was on the Kentucky Derby trail in 2015 before injury set him back. He posted win in the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes in November, 2014 and the Grade 3 Jerome Stakes in January and went on to a second in the Grade 3 Withers Stakes in February, a win in the Grade 3 Gotham Stakes in March and a third in the Grade 1 Wood Memorial Stakes in April before being sent to the sidelines for nearly seven months. He returned to action October 31 and finished fifth in the Grade 3 Bold Ruler Handicap October 31 and rediscovered his winning ways last time out in the minor City of Laurel Stakes November 14. El Kabeir now has five wins, two seconds and two third place finishes in 11 career starts and hopes to prove that he's back to his dominant form Saturday. Mike Smith has been tabbed with accomplishing that goal from post 5.

Pain and Misery 20-1 - Henry Dominguez trained gelding has 12 career starts with four wins, three seconds and two third place finishes. He enters off a respectable second in the minor Zia Park Derby November 25, an Allowance Optional Claiming score at Zia Park October 25, a sixth in the Grade 3 La Jolla Handicap August 9, a fifth in the Grade 2 Los Alamitos Derby in July and a nice win in the minor Charles Taylor Derby in June. He also had a second in the Grade 3 Pat Day Mile at Churchill Downs in May and a third in the Grade 3 Sunland Derby in March. Pain and Misery has been a tad inconsistent but has shown decent form in the past. He looks for his first graded stakes score from the rail Saturday with Tyler Baze aboard.

Bad Read Sanchez 30-1 - has placed in three of four career starts for trainer Doug O'Neill and makes his first start in over eight months on Saturday. He enters off a disappointing sixth in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby April 4 which followed another eight months away, a respectable third in the Grade 2 Best Pal Stakes at Del Mar in August, 2014, a good second in the minor W.L. Proctor Memorial at Los Alamitos in July of last year and a maiden score by 10 lengths at first asking. Bad Read Sanchez has looked good at times but has had a difficult time staying healthy so far. Jockey Mario Gutierrez hopes to keep the longest shot in the field on the track from gate 6 Saturday.

2015 Malibu Stakes Entries & Odds

Race 8 on Santa Anita's Saturday card with a Post Time of 6:52 PM.