Charlatan crushes field in comeback race at Santa Anita
Not surprisingly, a Bob Baffert trainee delivered the last word in the 3-yearold division for 2020.
Charlatan showed Saturday that he may be the next matinee idol in the Hall of Famer’s stable, returning from a long layoff to win the Grade 1 $300,000 Malibu Stakes on opening day at Santa Anita. Turning back fellow Speightstown colt Nashville, Charlatan won by 4 1/2 lengths going seven furlongs in 1:21.50 with Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith aboard.
“That was just pure brilliance that we witnessed today,” Baffert said after Charlatan, the 8-5 second choice, repelled 6-5 favorite Nashville in a field of six 3-year-olds.
Charlatan had last been seen in competition May 2 at Oaklawn Park winning the first division of the split Grade 1 Arkansas Derby. Since then, he had undergone ankle surgery and had his Oaklawn victory vacated because of a positive drug test. That decision, appealed by Baffert, is the only defeat in Charlatan’s four-race career.
Baffert won two other Oaklawn races May 2, Nadal (Arkansas Derby) was retired before he could make another start and Gamine, after beating future Grade 1 winner Speech in an allowance race, also was DQ’d for a medication violation. Gamine, a 3-year-old filly, returned to win two Grade 1 races at Saratoga and ended the season winning the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint.
Like a basketball coach looking down a deep bench, Baffert took the Kentucky Derby and Breeders’ Cup Classic with 3-year-old colt Authentic, who has since been retired.
Charlatan allowed Nashville, 3-for3 entering the Malibu, to set opening fractions of 21.81 and 43.95 seconds.
Coming through the far turn, Charlatan zipped past Nashville, winning by what Santa Anita track announcer Frank Mirahmadi called “4 1/2 emphatic lengths.”
Smith rode Charlatan on Saturday for the first time. Drayden Van Dyke was aboard for his first two victories at Santa Anita and Martin Garcia for the Arkansas Derby.
“I always thought he was a special horse getting the opportunity to watch him, being that California is his home base,” said Smith, who rode Baffert-trained Justify to the Triple Crown in 2018. “I’d seen a lot of him and always wanted a chance to ride him. When Bob told me that I got the call, I’ve been on cloud nine ever since.”
The Malibu marked the 16th Grade 1 event that Baffert won in 2020. That list includes Mucho Gusto (Pegasus World Cup Invitational), who ran earlier on Saturday’s Santa Anita card but in defeat.
“Our job is to get results and that’s what it’s all about,” Baffert said. “I’m thankful to have all these great horses and continue on, and I’m still having fun.”