By Alan Carasso
Firming into 13-5 favoritism in the final few clicks of the tote, Raging Torrent (Maximus Mischief) found his best stride well off the inside entering the final eighth of a mile and staved off a late challenge from 2024 GI Santa Anita Derby winner Stronghold (Ghostzapper) to win Thursday's GI Malibu Stakes, the traditional opening-day feature at the Great Race Place.
Drawn widest in a field reduced to six with the early scratchings of Senior Officer (Into Mischief) and GI Breeders' Cup Sprint runner-up Bentornato (Valiant Minister) due to a sore foot, Raging Torrent was a half-step slowly into stride, but recovered nicely and ultimately settled in second as Pilot Commander (Justify) shot through at the inside to take up the running not long after the start. The latter took the field into the turn having gone the opening half-mile in a snappy :44.29, and Frankie Dettori was scrubbing on Raging Torrent to keep pace.
Pilot Commander was first to face the judge, but Dettori and Raging Torrent came to tackle with a furlong and a half to travel and was kept to his task to the wire. Stronghold was beaten a tight length into second, while Imagination (Into Mischief) lasted inside for third.
“We knew this is a perfect distance, so we were so optimistic,” said trainer Doug O'Neill, winning the Malibu for the first time in his career. “But in this sport, a lot of times you're optimistic and you go home with a flat balloon…but he ran a race that we had dreamed of and just so happy and proud.
“We really thought going into it, we were the best horse, the best distance. And just watching him day in, day out, he was training out of this world. So, yeah, he ran great.”
The disappointment of the race was the comebacking Mystik Dan (Goldencents), who was unsurprisingly outrun through the fast early sectionals, but never picked up the bit in the lane and finished well back as the 3-1 third choice.
“He broke good, but it just seemed like we were always chasing,” jockey Brian Hernandez, Jr. said of Mystik Dan. “I think shortening up took away from him. After running a mile and a quarter, it is tough to go back to seven-eighths. The horse is fine.”
Third in the GIII Best Pal Stakes at two, Raging Torrent blew the doors off a field of entry-level allowance foes one race after Mystik Dan won the Derby at Churchill May 4 and followed up with a victory in the June 30 Maxfield Stakes over that same track and distance. The bay lowered the colors of Cal-bred champion The Chosen Vron (Vronsky) in the seven-furlong GII Pat O'Brien Stakes at Del Mar Aug. 24, but he never truly factored from inside stall in the Sprint, retreating to finish seventh.
Pedigree Notes:
Previously the lone graded winner and now the first top-level winner for his Spendthrift-based son of Into Mischief, Raging Torrent is the lone starter from his dam, a half-sister to GSW The Nth Degree (Distorted Humor), who was offered with the colt in utero at the 2021 Keeneland January Sale, but was led out unsold on a bid of $27,000. Raging Torrent was himself bought back for the same price by breeders Rodney Winkler and Alfoso Mazzetti at Keeneland September in 2022, and it was Mark Davis's name on the ticket when the colt fetched $75,000 at the 2023 OBS April Sale.
The first daughter of Violence to produce a Grade I winner, Violent Wave is also the dam of the 2-year-old colt Contra Mundum (Honor A.P.), a $55,000 RNA at KEESEP in 2023, and the mare was not mated when failing to find a new home at $145,000 at Keeneland November last fall. Subsequent to Raging Torrent's victory in the Pat O'Brien, Violent Wave was entered for this year's KEENOV, but was bought back on a bid of $575,000 in foal to Up to the Mark.
Thursday, Santa Anita
MALIBU S.-GI, $300,500, Santa Anita, 12-26, 3yo, 7f, 1:21.54, ft.
1–RAGING TORRENT, 122, c, 3, by Maximus Mischief
1st Dam: Violent Wave, by Violence
2nd Dam: Coastal Wave, by Dixieland Band
3rd Dam: Orange Wave, by Coastal
1ST GRADE I WIN. ($27,000 RNA Ylg '22 KEESEP; $75,000 2yo
'23 OBSAPR). O-Great Friends Stables and Mark Davis;
B-Rodney J. Winkler & Alfonso Mazzetti (KY); T-Doug F. O'Neill;
J-Lanfranco Dettori. $180,000. Lifetime Record: 12-5-1-2,
$667,400. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Stronghold, 122, c, 3, Ghostzapper–Spectator, by Jimmy
Creed. O/B-Eric Waller & Sharon Waller (KY); T-Philip D'Amato.
$60,000.
3–Imagination, 122, c, 3, Into Mischief–Magical Feeling, by
Empire Maker. ($1,050,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP). O-SF Racing LLC,
Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Stonestreet Stables LLC,
Dianne Bashor, Robert Masterson, Waves Edge Capital LLC,
Catherine Donovan, and Tom Ryan; B-Peter E. Blum
Thoroughbreds, LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert. $36,000.
Margins: 1 1/4, HF, 3/4. Odds: 2.60, 4.60, 4.10.
Also Ran: Pilot Commander, Winterfell, Mystik Dan. Scratched: Bentornato, Senior Officer. Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
RAGING TORRENT ($7.20) engulfed the field to take the $300,000 Malibu Stakes (G1) at @SantaAnitaPark. @FrankieDettori was in the irons of the colt by Maximus Mischief (@spendthriftfarm) for trainer @DougONeill1.
Last Pick 3: https://t.co/2eg2m7xoYN pic.twitter.com/LuQ2OqKVWA
— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) December 26, 2024
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