Mystik Dan to face seven in Santa Anita opener next week ...Middle East

Mystik Dan will start from post six in an eight-horse field when the Kentucky Derby winner returns to the races in the Malibu Stakes on opening day at Santa Anita on Dec. 26.

Entries were set Thursday for a card in which the $300,000, Grade I Malibu is one of six graded stakes races.

The Malibu is the last American Grade I stakes for 3-year-olds in 2024, giving horses a good chance to add to their accomplishments for the season, and it’s a 7-furlong elongated sprint, giving those coming off layoffs a springboard into longer races in 2025.

Mystik Dan, trained by Kenny McPeek, followed his win with jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. in the Kentucky Derby by finishing second to Seize the Grey in the Preakness and eighth to Dornoch in the Belmont Stakes, and hasn’t raced since. This will be his first start in California.

The opposition consists of Stronghold (Antonio Fresu), also seeking a reboot after going 0 for 3 since his Santa Anita Derby victory in April; Bentornato (Luis Saez), second to Straight No Chaser at 28-1 in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Del Mar; Raging Torrent (Frankie Dettori), winner of the 7-furlong Pat O’Brien Stakes at Del Mar, and the Bob Baffert-trained trio of Imagination (Joel Rosario), Pilot Commander (Juan Hernandez) and Winterfell (John Velazquez).

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First post Dec. 26 is earlier than usual at 11 a.m. Racing during the holidays runs Thursday through Sunday the first week, then Wednesday, Jan. 1, and Friday through Sunday, Jan. 3-5. Santa Anita continues through April 6, then has a week off before going April 18 to June 15.

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