As the 2024 racing season reaches its peak, Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan, Eclipse Award hopeful Johannes, and $5 million earner White Abarrio are poised to headline key stakes events this week.
Mystik Dan returns after a six-month layoff to compete in the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes at Santa Anita on Thursday, marking the track's 90th-anniversary winter-spring season opener. Trainer Kenny McPeek aims to guide him to a second Grade 1 win this year. On the same card, Johannes seeks his fifth graded victory in the San Gabriel Stakes, solidifying his case for champion turf male of 2024.
At Gulfstream Park on Saturday, White Abarrio targets the Mr. Prospector Stakes, seeking his first graded win since the 2023 Breeders’ Cup Classic. The day also features the Joe Hernández Stakes at Santa Anita, the final graded event of the year.
In other stakes action, Hope Road leads the field in the La Brea Stakes, unbeaten since joining Bob Baffert's barn. She Feels Pretty is the standout in the American Oaks, while Katonah, Express Train, and Tarantino vie for favour in the Laffit Pincay Jr. Stakes. King of Gosford eyes redemption in the Mathis Mile, following a close second in the Hollywood Derby.
Rounding out the stakes lineup, Hang the Moon is set for a comeback in the Robert J. Frankel Stakes after a disappointing Breeders’ Cup effort. Across nine graded stakes this week, these contenders look to cement their legacies as the year concludes.