Encouraged by his impressive victory on Santa Anita’s new
conventional dirt main track three months ago, Ron Ellis plans to run
Centralinteligence in his first stakes race a week from today in the
Grade I, $300,000 Malibu Stakes for 3-year-olds, opening day main event
of Santa Anita’s winter/spring meet.
“He ran well over the track and he’s an improving horse,” Ellis said of
the chestnut gelding owned by a group headed by Amerman Racing Stables,
LLC, Bongo Racing Stable, and Gary Finder.
“He’s a good-looking horse. He was a $90,000 (Keeneland sales)
yearling. He’s been working at Hollywood and he’ll stay there till he’s
finished training for the race and ship to Santa Anita to run.
A son of 2004 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Smarty Jones,
Centralinteligence broke his maiden at Hollywood last July, then took an
allowance test at Santa Anita on Sept. 30 by 3 1/4 lengths. In his most
recent race, on Nov. 27, he was second to Smash, another Malibu
nominee, beaten only a half-length going 6 ½ furlongs.
Probable for the Malibu: Associate, Casper’s Touch,
Centralinteligence, Hoorayforhollywood, Light Up the Score, Luckaruck,
Racing Aptitude, Rothko, Smash, The Factor and Wine Police.
Wine Police worked five furlongs on Santa Anita’s fast main track
Monday in 1:01.40 for Steve Asmussen, while Rothko went five furlongs
Sunday in 59.80, also for Asmussen, who plans to run yet a third horse
in the Malibu, Light Up the Score.