McKinzie ends year on a high note in Malibu

ARCADIA, Calif. – There always has been a long-range plan with McKinzie, as it has always been the intention for him to run as a 4-year-old. When he suffered a minor injury earlier this year, he was given plenty of time to recover, and it didn’t hurt the Bob Baffert barn that Justify came to the fore right then, too.

McKinzie won his first start in six months in the Pennsylvania Derby on Sept. 22, then the reset button had to be hit anew after he ran poorly in the Breeders’ Cup Classic Nov. 3. But in his final start of the year, McKinzie served notice that he’s back in his best form and will be one to reckon with throughout 2019.

McKinzie ($4.40) absolutely crushed his rivals on Wednesday’s opening-day card at Santa Anita in the Grade 1, $303,105 Malibu Stakes, rolling to a 4 3/4-length victory over 13 other 3-year-olds in the seven-furlong race that was witnessed by an enthusiastic on-track crowd of 41,373. Identity Politics was second, Still Having Fun third, and Axelrod rounded out the superfecta.

Bobby’s Wicked One was fifth, then came, in order, Calexman, Nero, Kanthaka, Solomini, Majestic Dunhill, Copper Bullet, Ax Man, Greyvitos, and Seven Trumpets.

“A good way to end the year,” said Baffert, whose 2018 includes the Triple Crown sweep by Justify and a certain championship for 2-year-old male Game Winner. “The reason this horse is good right now is because he missed the classics.”

McKinzie was one of the top 3-year-olds entering the year, but he went to the sidelines after a rough-and-tumble San Felipe in which he was disqualified after bumping with Bolt d’Oro. He earned a career-best Beyer Speed Figure when he won the Pennsylvania Derby, but beat just two horses when finishing 12th, beaten 31 lengths, in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

“That was a throw-out. I got overzealous,” Baffert said. “It was a hard race in Philadelphia. The track was deep.”

McKinzie lost weight coming out of that trip, but his subsequent works were solid, and with $6 million on the line, the temptation of the Classic proved too much resist.

“A lot of money. A lot of excitement. I got caught up in it,” Baffert said. “He got light. I should have sat back.”

McKinzie was given several weeks to rest following the Classic, then started back in earnest, and trained like his old self.

“He worked well. I was just hoping he’d have that kick,” Baffert said.

McKinzie drew favorably, in post 13, with regular rider Mike Smith up. Smith kept McKinzie in the clear, and though he had to go around rivals, he never had anyone to dodge, avoiding some of the traffic that hampered, among others, Copper Bullet and Kanthaka. McKinzie rolled from 10th to second on the far turn, took aim at leader Calexman coming off the bend, hit the front inside the furlong pole and powered clear.

“I was loaded,” Smith said.

McKinzie covered seven furlongs on the fast main track in 1:22.48 and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 103. A colt by Street Sense, McKinzie has now won five times in seven starts for owners Mike Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman, who purchased McKinzie for $170,000 as a yearling. He has now earned $1,086,000.

There have been high hopes for McKinzie since before he debuted, which is why he was named as a tribute to the late Brad McKinzie, the longtime Los Alamitos executive who was one of Baffert’s closest friends.

“His namesake was looking down,” Baffert said.

“When you name a horse for someone, you’ve got something invested, beyond money” Pegram said. “It did my heart good to see this horse get lucky today.”