Red Outlaw eyes rebound in Mathis Brothers Mile

Shared Belief, who was beaten for the first time in his eight-race career when he finished a troubled fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Classic Nov. 1, will be favored in the $300,000 Malibu Stakes at Santa Anita Dec. 26. He is not the only 3-year-old on that card who will try to get back to the winner’s circle after having a long win streak that ended recently.

Red Outlaw, who lost for the first time in his seventh start when fourth in the Cary Grant Stakes at Del Mar on Nov. 23, is likely to start that day in the $200,000 Mathis Brothers Mile for 3-year-olds on turf.

On Thursday, trainer Peter Miller said there is a “small chance” Red Outlaw will run in the Malibu, but that the Grade 2 Mathis Brothers Mile had greater appeal. The race was known in past years as the Sir Beaufort Stakes.

“I’d like to try to find his niche,” Miller said. “He’s done a little bit of everything, and he’s done it all well. We’d like to find out whether he can run long on grass.”

A two-turn grass race would be new to Red Outlaw, who races for a partnership led by Blinkers On Racing Stable. During his six-race winning streak, Red Outlaw won four stakes – two in turf sprints on Santa Anita’s hillside turf course and twice on the synthetic track at Del Mar, over seven furlongs and a mile.

In the Cary Grant, Red Outlaw broke slowly and failed to take his customary position on the lead.

The seven-furlong Malibu and Mathis Brothers Mile are two of three stakes on the opening day program, joined by the $300,000 La Brea Stakes for 3-year-old fillies over seven furlongs. The Los Alamitos December Thoroughbred meeting concludes Sunday.