McKinzie possible for Pegasus, Dubai World Cup

ARCADIA, Calif. – Lucrative races such as the $9 million Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 26 and the $12 million Dubai World Cup in the United Arab Emirates on March 30 are possible targets for McKinzie after the 3-year-old colt’s sharp win in Wednesday’s Grade 1 Malibu Stakes at Santa Anita.

McKinzie, the 6-5 favorite in a field of 13, closed from 10th to win the $303,105 Malibu Stakes at seven furlongs by a comprehensive 4 3/4 lengths under jockey Mike Smith. He earned a 103 Beyer Speed Figure for the victory.

On Thursday, trainer Bob Baffert said the race seemed to take little toll.

“You would never know that he ran,” Baffert said. “He was just getting into gear at the end.”

In the coming days, McKinzie will return to training, and a plan will be formed for the first quarter of 2019.

“He’s going to keep running,” Baffert said. “I want to give him a week and see how he goes back to the track. We won’t get ahead of ourselves.”

Asked about the Pegasus World Cup and the Dubai World Cup, Baffert said, “Definitely, those races are in the conversation.”

McKinzie was 12th in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Churchill Downs on Nov. 3. Baffert blamed himself for the loss, saying McKinzie had lost too much weight following a win in the Pennsylvania Derby in September.

Owned by Mike Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman, McKinzie has won 5 of 7 starts and earned $1,086,000. He has won three Grade 1 races, including the Los Alamitos Futurity in 2017 and the Pennsylvania Derby.

“He’s starting to grow into that big frame of his,” Baffert said. “We’re pretty excited about him.”

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