Goal Oriented Achieves G1 Success in Malibu

Overcoming two scratches and a wicked pace, trainer Bob Baffert capped a stellar Opening Day at Santa Anita Park Dec. 28 by sending out Goal Oriented and Midland Money as the winner and runner-up of the featured Malibu Stakes (G1). Baffert, who also had the 1-2 finishers in the Laffit Pincay Jr. Stakes (G2) in Nysos and Nevada Beach and Usha, the winner of the La Brea Stakes (G1) for 3-year-old fillies, missed the trifecta in the Malibu by one slot as California-bred Speedy Wilson edged Baffert-trained Madaket Road for third. Goal Oriented, a Not This Time colt, started from the outside gate and had to pass most of the field from the start of the turn in the 7-furlong Malibu. He closed stoutly on the outside through the stretch and won by 1 length from his stablemate, stopping the timer at 1:20.97 on a fast track. Madaket Road prompted the early pace and just missed completing the trifecta. Baffert achieved his year-long goal of getting a grade 1 win for Goal Oriented, but said the buildup to the actual race was draining. Baffert had five of the original 10 entries—the five morning-line favorites—in the Malibu, including the oddsmaker's No. 1 selection, Barnes, who won the Perryville Stakes (G3) at Keeneland Oct. 18 by 8 1/4 lengths. He was an early scratch. That left Cornucopian, an Into Mischief colt making his first start since April, as the favorite as the field entered the Santa Anita saddling enclosure. There, Cornucopian reared and came down awkwardly. He was uninjured but, by rule, was an automatic scratch. "It was just a whirlwind. Cornucopian, he was saddling, and he just reared up a little bit. He lost his footing and sat down like a dog. He was all right, but once they do that, it's automatic scratch here, and I understand that," Baffert said. That, then, left Baffert with Madaket Road, Midland Money, and Goal Oriented, who then was bet down to even-money favorite. "It was just silly. But it happened," Baffert said. "So there was a lot of pressure on these other boys. We lost Barnes, had to scratch. But 'Goal,' we know he's a good horse. And 'Madaket' looked like he was going to take it for a while. And my other horse ran really big. "I'm just happy that it turned out that we won it, because it was just so upsetting there for a little bit. We won the Malibu, which is so important." Goal Oriented, bred in Kentucky by Runnymede Farm and CWC Investment 2, is out of the Afleet Alex mare Bizzy Caroline. He is the 15th graded stakes winner and fourth grade 1 winner this season by Not This Time, who will stand the 2026 season for a $250,000 fee at Taylor Made Stallions. Purchased for $425,000 out of Runnymede's consignment at the 2023 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Goal Oriented is owned by SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Stonestreet Stables, Dianne Bashor, Determined Stud, Robert Masterson, Tom Ryan, Waves Edge Capital, and Catherine Donovan.