Six graded stakes highlight Sunday’s opening-day program as Santa Anita begins its 85th winter-spring meet, but one in particular offers an intriguing matchup on the 11-race card.

The $300,000 Grade I Malibu Stakes for 3-year-olds at 7 furlongs pits Dr. Schivel, a hard-luck loser in last fall’s Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Del Mar, versus the unbeaten, but untested, Flightline.

Flightline is the 4-5 morning-line favorite, but Dr. Schivel at 5-2 is more seasoned, having won 5 of 8 starts, including two Grade Is and a Grade II. He got caught in the last jump at the Breeders’ Cup, losing by a nose to Aloha West.

Flightline, on the other hand, is 2 for 2, winning a maiden special weight and an optional claimer by a combined 26 lengths. The Malibu is the stakes debut for a colt trainer John Sadler has labeled “the best prospect I’ve had” during his 43 years training thoroughbreds.

“Strategy will depend on a lot of different things,” Dr. Schivel’s trainer, Mark Glatt, told Ed Golden of Santa Anita publicity. “The post position is one strategy factor, but we’ll just take our best shot. He’s a very, very nice horse.”

Dr. Schivel drew the No. 4 post with Flightline right on his outside in the No. 5 hole.

Flavien Prat, the runaway winner as top jockey during last year’s winter-spring meet, had his choice of which colt he wanted to ride and chose Flightline. Juan Hernandez, who rode Dr. Schivel when he broke his maiden in August 2020 at Del Mar, jumps back aboard the Violence colt.

Said Sadler of Flightline: “He’s just one of those horses that really is an amazing horse.”

The colt’s co-owner, Kosta Hronis of Hronis Racing, was even more effusive in his praise after a 12 3/4-length victory at Del Mar on Sept. 5 when Flightline ran 6 furlongs in 1:08.05 over a track that hadn’t been producing quick times.

“He’s special. That’s a special horse,” he said.

Just how special we might learn in the Malibu, which also drew the Bob Baffert-trained Triple Tap, unbeaten in two starts. The son of Tapit will be ridden by John Velazquez, who’s moved his business west for the first time, at least through the end of March. He drew the cozy outside post in the seven-horse field.

Baby Yoda, a Bill Mott-trained gelding who registered a 114 Beyer Speed Figure while winning an allowance race at Saratoga on Sept. 4, drew the rail and will be ridden by Jose Ortiz.

The $200,000 Grade II San Antonio Stakes marks the return of Hot Rod Charlie, fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. The colt’s trainer, Doug O’Neill, said he’s got Charlie cranked for a top effort, but that the ultimate short-term goal is the $12 million Dubai World Cup on March 26.

“The plan, post-San Antonio, is more than likely get on a plane and take him to Dubai in the middle of January so he can have a prep race there for the World Cup,” O’Neill said.

Hot Rod Charlie, the 6-5 morning-line favorite, will face six rivals, including Express Train, Azul Coast and Eight Rings. Flavien Prat has the mount.

There are two other $300,000 Grade I races that highlight Santa Anita’s opening, including the La Brea Stakes for 3-year-old fillies and the American Oaks, a 1 1/4-mile turf race for sophomore fillies.

Also on tap are a pair of $200,000 Grade II events on the grass – the Mathis Mile and the San Gabriel Stakes.

First post is 11 a.m. Sunday. There is special racing Monday and Santa Anita will then be dark until Thursday.

What: Santa Anita’s 85th winter-spring meet

Where: Santa Anita Race Track, Arcadia

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