Charlatan roars back with dominating Malibu Stakes victory

Charlatan has provided the best window into the year 2020 for Bob Baffert, a year in which he won the Kentucky Derby and Breeders’ Cup Classic and led all trainers in Grade 1 wins, but also saw Charlatan’s disqualification in a division of the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby the most high-profile of medication violations.

If Baffert wanted to make a statement to end the year, he couldn’t have found a better, more-appropriate partner than Charlatan. Idle since the Arkansas Derby in May, Charlatan came back better than he left, scoring an overpowering victory Saturday at Santa Anita in the Grade 1, $300,500 Runhappy Malibu Stakes while completely dominating the previously unbeaten Nashville.

“This horse, what he’s been through, I’m just happy for the whole team,” Baffert said on Santa Anita’s simulcast show.

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Charlatan looked like one of the top Kentucky Derby prospects earlier this year while following a similar path to the barn’s Justify two years earlier. He won a maiden race in February and then a two-turn allowance in March, both in front-running fashion, by a combined 16 lengths.

The Arkansas Derby was postponed by three weeks owing to the pandemic, and was run on what would have been Kentucky Derby Day, May 2. Again Charlatan crushed his rivals, crossing the wire six lengths in front. But he subsequently was disqualified for a medication violation – which is being challenged – and then suffered an ankle injury that required surgery.

It was an expensive chain of events. Charlatan had a Grade 1 win taken away, costing him his unbeaten record, the purse money, and the terrific residual value of being a Grade 1 winner, plus he ended up missing the postponed Derby, which Baffert won anyway with Authentic.

Charlatan had trained brilliantly for the Malibu, for which Baffert thought he was a cinch – until Nashville arrived in town.

Nashville was unbeaten and also untested, his victory in the Perryville at Keeneland last month on Breeders’ Cup Saturday comparing favorably with the Breeders’ Cup Sprint later that day.

The Malibu, highlight of the opening-day card at Santa Anita, looked like a match race. It ended up being a mismatch.

Nashville, the 6-5 favorite, broke sharply and led early, with Charlatan, who started just outside him, taking up a stalking position during the run down the backstretch of the seven-furlong race. Nashville sped the opening quarter in 21.81 seconds – an extremely fast fraction with the short run-up at that distance – and the half in a blazing 43.95 seconds, meaning the second quarter was run in 22.14 seconds.

Charlatan, always going comfortably, moved at Nashville midway around the far turn, and when they came off the bend he bounded clear as Nashville finally met a horse who could run with him. Charlatan quickly opened a daylight lead, and he jogged home 4 1/2 lengths best under Mike Smith, who was riding him for the first time.

Baffert lamented that, owing to the pandemic, fans were not allowed to attend. The weather was perfect, a giant crowd of 30,000 or 40,000 would have been in attendance for a Saturday opening under normal circumstances.

“A shame,” he said. “They’re all next door at the mall.”

Express Train, a 16-1 shot, ran on for second, a half-length better than Collusion Illusion.

Nashville faded to fourth, 3 1/4 lengths behind Collusion Illusion, with Independence Hall and Thousand Words completing the finish in that order.

Charlatan, the second choice, paid $5.20 to win.

The main track at Santa Anita was faster in the afternoon than it had been in the morning, but was not a speedway. Charlatan made it look plenty fast. He had a six-furlong split of 1:08.54 en route to a final time of 1:21.50 over seven furlongs.

“That was an incredible performance off the layoff,” Baffert said.

Charlatan, by Speightstown, has now won three times in four starts, and is now a Grade 1 winner for owners SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Stonestreet Stables, Fred Hertrich III, John D. Fielding, and Golconda Stables.

Off this race, Charlatan is bound to receive support for an Eclipse Award as champion male sprinter, for which balloting closes soon after the new year. He might be the best horse in the country right now, but his resume – a lone Grade 1 win in an age-restricted race – will only go so far.

But he is staying in training at age 4, with the chance to build on what was promised earlier this year. This marked the 16th Grade 1 for Baffert in 2020, four more than second-place Chad Brown. Brad Cox is third, with seven.

“This is one of the best years I’ve ever had,” Baffert said, adding, “it’s been a roller coaster.”