Desormeaux Takes Aim at Opening-Day Feature

In the last decade, only one jockey has won the $200,000 Malibu Stakes, the traditional opening-day feature of Santa Anita’s winter-spring meet, more than once.

Kent Desormeaux won the Grade I in 1995 with Afternoon Deelites, came right back with King Of The Heap 12 months later, then won again last year with the brilliant Mizzen Mast, whose career ended prematurely because of injury.

Desormeaux will try for a fourth win in eight years this afternoon when he rides comeback horse Sunday Break against 10 other 3-year-olds in the seven-furlong Malibu.

Like his female stablemate Bella Bellucci, Sunday Break’s accomplishments haven’t matched his hype. The son of Forty Niner has won half of his eight starts but only one stake, the Grade II Peter Pan against a suspect field on May 25 at Belmont Park.

Owned by Koji Maeda, the Japanese-bred colt hasn’t run since finishing a distant third in the Belmont Stakes on June 8. He has trained well for his return for Neil Drysdale and has won twice in three starts at Santa Anita.

The first leg of a Strub Series that also includes the $200,000 San Fernando Breeders’ Cup Stakes on Jan. 11 and the $400,000 Strub Stakes on Feb. 1, the Malibu also lured, among others, Mayakovsky, the Herman Sarkowsky-owned pair of Timely Action and Total Limit, and Debonair Joe, a $12,500 claim by trainer Juan Pablo Silva who won the Vernon O. Underwood at Hollywood Park earlier this month at nearly 53-1.

Race of the day: Ghostzapper, a promising 2-year-old owned by Frank Stronach and trained by Bobby Frankel, will make his second start in today’s third at Santa Anita, a $52,000 allowance at six furlongs. The half-brother of City Zip was impressive in his debut on Nov. 16 at Hollywood Park.

Who’s hot: Bob Baffert. The trainer has won the title at Santa Anita’s winter-spring meet five consecutive times, equaling a record set by Red McDaniel from 1949-50 through 1954-55.

Who’s not: Jeff Correa. The New York trainer has won with two of 41 starters in 2002.

Exotically speaking: A pick three using Lake William and Kolinor in the fourth, singling D’s Bertrando in the fifth and using Dawson Trail, Gross Margin, Richard’s Boy and Golden Embers in the sixth.

Winners: (Final for Hollywood Park): Previous day/meet total: 5/90. Money: Previous day/meet total: $19.40/$492. Total money bet: $596.