BRAD FREE: Drefong to skip Grade 1 Malibu Stakes
Breeders’ Cup Sprint winner Drefong will skip the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes on Dec. 26, opening day of the winter meet at Santa Anita, trainer Bob Baffert confirmed Wednesday morning.
“He got a little temp about a week ago, I had to treat him,” Baffert said. “He’s just going back to the track now.”
Drefong, whose five straight wins include the Grade 1 King’s Bishop at Saratoga and BC Sprint at Santa Anita, would have been favored in the seven-furlong Malibu.
Without Drefong, the leading contenders in the Malibu include BC Sprint third-place finisher Mind Your Biscuits, stakes winner Sharp Azteca and Baffert-trained Ten Blessings.
Ten Blessings earned a 106 Beyer Figure winning a first-level allowance on Nov. 4. While he is expected to run in the Malibu, the status of two other Baffert trainees will be determined after they work on Wednesday.
Jazzy Times and Mor Spirit work at 7:45. Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Arrogate works at 9 a.m. Baffert said he is “still on the fence what to do with him.”
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