Barnes and Cornucopian Headline the Malibu Stakes on a Showcase Sunday at Santa Anita

A full field of 10 3-year-olds will chase their first Grade I success in a loaded meeting opener that was postponed due to heavy rain

Barnes, a colt of immense talent, looks to land his first Grade I victory / BENOIT PHOTO

ARCADIA, California (Special to Turf Diario)— The Malibu Stakes (G1, $300,000) once again looms as one of the marquee fixtures of the California winter. The seven-furlong test for 3-year-olds will draw a field of 10 on Sunday at Santa Anita Park, after the entire opening-day program was pushed back due to a series of storms forecast to hit the area this week.

Two names dominate the early conversation: Barnes (Into Mischief) and Cornucopian (Into Mischief), both trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, a six-time winner of the Malibu. Baffert will saddle a formidable quintet, also sending out Goal Oriented (Not This Time), Midland Money (Shancelot) and Madaket Road (Quality Road), underscoring the importance he places on this opening salvo.

Barnes arrives on the upswing after returning to winning form Oct. 18 at Keeneland, where he romped by 8 1/4 lengths in the Perryville Stakes (G3) over seven furlongs. The victory snapped a four-race losing streak and repositioned him among the leaders of his crop. Previously, he had acquitted himself well in top-level company, including the H. Allen Jerkens (G1) at Saratoga and the Santa Anita Derby (G1). Racing for Zedan Racing, Barnes owns a record of 7 starts with a 3-1-1 line and $557,750 in earnings, and will again be partnered by Jose Ortiz, who was aboard for the Perryville.

More questions—and intrigue—surround Cornucopian, who makes his return after last racing Apr. 27, when second in a one-mile allowance at Aqueduct. He had made a splash on debut in February with a 5 3/4-length blowout at Oaklawn Park, then jumped straight into deep waters five weeks later in the Arkansas Derby (G1), where he carved out a ferocious pace before weakening to fourth. He will be ridden for the first time by Flavien Prat and races for a partnership that includes SF Racing, Starlight Racing and Madaket Stables.

Among those looking to disrupt Baffert’s dominance are two colts aiming to take the next step at the stakes level. Modus Bestia (Maclean’s Music), trained by Richard Baltas, exits back-to-back sprint victories at Del Mar. A $500,000 yearling purchase, he will be ridden by Edwin Maldonado.

The other challenger is Berlin Wall (Practical Joke), conditioned by Steve Knapp. He punched his Malibu ticket with a decisive 7 3/4-length allowance score Nov. 16 at Del Mar. With a 5-2-0-1 record and $144,720 in earnings, he will have Brazilian rider Tiago Pereira in the irons.