By Joe Bianca
Even without his GI Twinspires Breeders' Cup Sprint conqueror Drefong (Gio Ponti)–who spiked a temperature last week–in the lineup, Bob Baffert will be amply represented by three contenders in the GI Malibu S. A pair of imposing shippers from the east, however, loom as major threats to the Baffert train, setting up an intriguing clash of coasts in the annual day-after-Christmas Santa Anita feature.
Leading the Baffert charge is 'TDN Rising Star' Ten Blessings (Smart Strike), who broke through with a huge performance in a track-and-trip optional claimer Nov. 4, stalking a fast pace and running away to 4 3/4-length victory, good for a 106 Beyer, easily the top number earned in this field. Out of dual champion Indian Blessing (Indian Charlie), the bay has worked sharply for this stakes debut, completing preparations with a local six-furlong bullet in 1:11 3/5 (1/22) Dec. 20.
Making his first start since a 10th-place finish in the May 7 GI Kentucky Derby is Michael Lund Petersen's Mor Spirit (Eskendereya). A winner of the GI Los Alamitos Futurity and GIII Robert B. Lewis S., the dark bay was a distant runner-up in the GI Santa Anita Derby before his midpack finish in Louisville and comes in off of a bullet half-mile drill in :46 1/5 (1/40) here Dec. 21. Rounding out the Baffert troika is Zayat Stables' Jazzy Times (Discreetly Mine). The $460,000 OBS March buy, also a designated Rising Star, will look to snap a three-race losing streak, having most recently run third as the odds-on favorite in a Del Mar optional claimer Dec. 4.
Mind Your Biscuits (Posse), a narrow 5-2 favorite on the morning line, was a fast-closing third behind Defrong in the Sprint Nov. 5, culminating a pattern of steady improvement throughout this campaign for the modestly-bred chestnut. Prior to that, the $47,000 KEEJAN buy won the GII Amsterdam S. July 30 at Saratoga and was second in the GIII Gallant Bob S. Sept. 24 at Parx. Shipping out west early for trainer Robert Falcone, Jr., Mind Your Biscuits blew out a bullet half-mile in :47 1/5 (1/62) over the local strip Dec. 18 and figures to get a good deal of pace to run into.
The wild card in the Malibu is Gelfenstein Farm's speedy Sharp Azteca (Freud). An impressive winner of the GIII Pat Day Mile on the Kentucky Derby undercard, the dark bay failed as the favorite when fourth in the GII Woody Stephens S. June 11 at Belmont and second in the Prelude S. Aug. 6 at Louisiana Downs before snapping back to form with a 5 1/4-length success in the City of Laurel S. Nov. 19. The Jorge Navarro trainee also has gotten a feel for the local strip, recording a pair of five-furlong works in Arcadia, most recently covering the distance in :59 2/5 (4/120) Dec. 19.
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