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2025 Year in Review Santa Anita Opening Day Hong Kong Cup Results Hong Kong Jockey Challenge Hong Kong Cup woeks |
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 Joel Rosario celebrates aboard Goal Oriented after winning the Malibu Stakes |
Date: 12/28/2025
On Sunday afternoon, Santa Anita's winter-spring meeting kicked off with 6 graded stakes, 3 on dirt and 3 on turf. Conditions were typical for late December, with sunny skies and temperatures in the high 60's for the 41,962 fans in attendance at the historic Arcadia oval, with the main track fast. Due to torrential rains and local flooding, opening day was delayed by 2 days from its traditional December 26 date. The attendance was the largest for a Sunday curtain-raiser since 1999.
"We appreciate everyone who had to adjust their schedule for the weather, and we are so thankful to everyone who worked so hard to make opening day a success," said Nate Newby, Santa Anita Park's SVP & General Manager. "It was important to stay on the turf course to present the best racing program possible for the owners, trainers, jockeys and horseplayers. Opening day is very important to create momentum for the season, and today's large crowd provided terrific energy. It was a nice reminder of why Santa Anita remains 'The Great Race Place.'"
 Goal Oriented leads down the stretch |
Madaket Road and 7-1 Modus Bestia dueled for the lead through fractions of 21.87 and 44.30 while stalked by Midland Money. Turning for home the leaders tired allowing Midland Money to take over through 3/4 in 1:08.81. Goal Oriented, last early under Joel Rosario, came out 4 wide for room and rallied to win by a length in 1:20.97. It was a long 3 1/4 lengths back to 13-1 Speedy Wilson third.
Also on the card: American Oaks (G1), San Gabriel Stakes (G2), and Mathis Mile (G2)
Pgm Horse Jockey Win Place Show 10 Goal Oriented Rosario 4.20 2.40 2.10 5 Midland Money Hernandez 3.60 2.80 4 Speedy Wilson Ayuso 3.80 Winning Time: 1:20.97 $1 Exacta 10-5 5.70 $1 Trifecta 10-5-4 25.50 $1 Superfecta 10-5-4-3 51.40 |
Left: Goal Oriented in the winner's circle. Winning trainer Bob Baffert, who trains the first two finishers said, "'Goal' we know is a good horse and Madaket Road looked like he was going to take it for a while. I'm just happy that it turned out. That we won it. It was a little upsetting there for a bit but I'm glad it worked out and we won the Malibu which is so important. I told Joel not to rush Goal Oriented. We slowed him down and took off the blinkers and he responded."
Right: Goal Oriented in the post parade. Winning jockey Joel Rosario said, "The ride was beautiful. Everything was being set up beautifully and he was in a good position on the backside. I was just letting him find himself and he came out with a big run. Quite a few things changed my plan after the two scratches, but ultimately, I let him do his thing." Co-owner Tom Ryan added, "Bob had told me last week that this horse was doing really well. I've seen him working with Nevada Beach and when Nevada Beach ran so well earlier it kind of gave me confidence that this was the potential outcome. He got a nice draw on the outside."
Left: Second place finisher Midland Money in the walking ring. Trainer Bob Baffert said, "And my other horse (Midland Money) ran really big."
Right: Third place finisher Speedy Wilson in the walking ring. The Phil D'Amato trainee improved his record to 4 wins, 1 second, and 2 thirds in 9 starts, earning $330,488 for owner-breeder Nicholas Alexander.
The distaff counterpart to the Malibu is the $300,000 La Brea Stakes (G1) presented by Don Julio for 3-year-old fillies also sprinting 7 furlongs. After 1 scratch, Rancho Bernardo Handicap (G3) runner-up Formula Rossa was sent off as the 2-1 favorite in the field of 10 over 5-2 second choice Five G, unraced since winning the Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2) in March, and 11-2 third choice Usha, 7th in the Raven Run (G2).
14-1 SIlent Law and 24-1 Artisma dueled for the lead out of the chute through fractions of 21.85 and 44.43 while stalked by 17-1 Simply Joking and 7-1 fourth choice Brilliantly Into the stretch, Usha, 7th early under Juan Hernandez, came through between the leaders at the 1/4 pole and drew off to win by 5 1/4 lengths over late-running favorite Formula Rossa in 1:21.68. It was a neck back to Simply Joking third.
Results Chart from DRF.
Left: Usha in the winner's circle. Winning trainer Bob Baffert said, "Usha showed up today. I shipped her to Kentucky for her last race and she lost it in the paddock. She came back here and that worked well. Juan knows her really well I didn't have to say anything to him. We expected this when I shipped her to Kentucky, and didn't win a race, but today she showed up."
Right: Usha returns after the race. Winning jockey Juan Hernandez said, "She broke good but and then she got in tight a little bit and had a little pressure from the outside. That's why I had to check a little bit, but it worked out really good. She is really good. She liked that style because she can be a little nervous and leaves some of the race in the post parade but today she was really calm. Jimmy and the guys in the barn did a really good job with her and kept her calm. It worked out really well."
Left: Second place finisher and beaten favorite Formula Rossa in the walking ring before the race. The Mark Glatt trainee improved her record to 2 wins and 2 seconds in 4 starts, earning $164,600 for owner Muir Hut Stables.
Right: Third place finisher Simply Joking returns after the race. The Mike McCarthy trainee improved her record to 2 wins, 2 seconds, and 1 third in 7 starts, earning $362,750 for owners Berkels0813, CMNWLTH LLC, Grantley Acres, and Ryan Conner.
The $200,000 Laffit Pincay Jr. Stakes (G2), formerly known as the San Antonio Stakes, featured a field of 6 older horses going 1 1/16 miles on the main track in an early prep for the Santa Anita Handicap. Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) winner Nysos was sent off as the 1-5 favorite over 9-2 second choice Nevada Beach, winner of the Native Diver (G3), and 11-1 third choice Vodka Vodka off 2 allowance wins.
Jockey Kent Desormeaux sent Vodka Vodka to the lead first time by through fractions of 24.00 and 48.44 while pressed by 24-1 Bartholdy and stalked by Nevada Beach and Nysos. On the turn Bartholdy briefly led through 3/4 in 1:12.26 but Nysos, 4th early under Flavien Prat, swept to the lead through 1 mile in 1:36.43 and held off Nevada Beach the rest of the way to win by a head in 1:42.36. It was a long 4 1/4 lengths back to Bartholdy third.
Results Chart from DRF.
Left: Nysos in the winner's circle. Winning trainer Bob Baffert (who trains the first two finishers) said, "Flavien knows this horse really well. They weren't going that fast early, so I was hoping he found a seam. You could tell he had a lot of horse. (Stablemates Nysos and Nevada Beach) are either really good friends they want to be together or battle it out. It just shows you these horses are so competitive the way they were battling. Nysos, he just knows where the wire is. Flavien rode him well. Nysos is a cool customer. I told Flavien to ride him like a 10-1 shot in the paddock. With a small field, he got bottled up in there on the first turn."
Right: Nysos in the walking ring. Jockey Flavien Prat said, "He broke a bit flat-footed, but then I was able to sit and he was traveling well. I was a bit worried that the pace was slow but as soon as he got a seam he made a really good move and Nevada Beach hooked up with us. It was a very game effort."
Left: Second place finisher Nevada Beach in the paddock before the race. Trainer Bob Baffert said, "My other horse (Nevada Beach) was in a good spot. They turned for home and it looked like he was just going to go on and Nevada Beach, he loves this track. He just took off after him. I got two great rides and two good horses. We'll see how they come out of this race in regards to possibly going to Saudi. The Breeders Cup' was a disaster for Nevada Beach He showed today and so did Nysos that they were both tough customers." Jockey Juan Hernandez added, "My horse ran really great. We were in front and then we went back and forth with Nysos. Sometimes he has a tendency to get lazy, but he was a different horse today. He wanted to run today."
Right: Third place finisher Bartholdy in the walking ring. The Steve Knapp trainee improved his record to 4 wins, 4 seconds, and 7 thirds in 10 starts, earning $251,720 for owners John Haagsma, Steve Knapp, and Robert Vanderdussen.
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