McKinzie works six furlongs for Malibu Stakes

McKinzie, the three-time graded stakes winner who was 12th in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Churchill Downs last month, worked six furlongs in 1:13.20 at Santa Anita on Sunday for an expected start in the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes on Dec. 26.

McKinzie may be among four candidates for the $300,000 Malibu for trainer Bob Baffert, who said he is considering the race for Ax Man, Nero and Solomini.

“It looks like those four,” Baffert said. “All are aiming for the Malibu.”

The Dec. 26 program is opening day of the track’s winter-spring meeting.

McKinzie was near the front for the first six furlongs of the BC Classic at 1 1/4 miles on Nov. 3, but faded to finish 31 lengths behind race winner Accelerate. In September, McKinzie won the Grade 1 Pennsylvania Derby in his first start since being sidelined with an injury last March.

“His last few works have gone well,” Baffert said.

Nero, who worked six furlongs in 1:13.80 on Sunday, won an allowance race with a $40,000 claiming option at 6 1/2 furlongs at Del Mar on Nov. 18 in his first start since a second in the Grade 2 San Vicente Stakes at seven furlongs last February.

The San Vicente was won by Kanthaka, another candidate for the Malibu, which is run at seven furlongs for 3-year-olds.

The Malibu is one of five stakes on the opening-day program.

There are three Grade 1 races in the first week of the Santa Anita meeting, including two $300,000 races for 3-year-old fillies – the La Brea Stakes at seven furlongs on Dec. 26, and the American Oaks at 1 1/4 miles on turf on Dec. 29.

The American Oaks field is expected to include the 2018 graded stakes winners Fatale Bere and Paved, who worked on Sunday.

Paved, who won the Grade 2 Honeymoon Stakes in June for trainer Michael McCarthy, worked five furlongs in 1:02.20. Paved was 12th in the BC Filly and Mare Turf at Churchill Downs on Nov. 3.

Fatale Bere, who worked a half-mile in 48 seconds, won the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks in August, a race in which Paved was sixth. More recently, Fatale Bere was last of seven in the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland on Oct. 13. Leonard Powell trains Fatale Bere.