SANTA Anita hosted a terrific card on St Stephen’s Day which brought the highest ever opening day wagering total of over $23 million.

There were three Grade 1s on the card but the headline performance came from the Bob Baffert-trained Charlatan in the Grade 1 Runhappy Malibu Stakes over seven furlongs.

The colt was making his first appearance in 238 days after he had finished first past the post in a division of the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby by six lengths back in early May. He was subsequently disqualified for a failed drugs test (described as a medication violation in some reports), but he was considered every bit as good as Baffert’s Kentucky Derby winner and Horse of the Year Authentic.

Charlatan had won his first two starts by a combined 16 lengths but the long absence, due to the son of Speightstown suffering an ankle injury, contributed to Steve Asmussen’s Nashville going off favourite after an easy three-and-a-quarter-length win in the Perryville Stakes on the Breeders’ Cup undercard in Keeneland in November.

Nashville led Charlatan after an opening quarter-mile in 21.81secs but the race was over after five furlongs as Charlatan and jockey Mike Smith moved past and pulled away too win by four and a half lengths, covering the seven furlongs in 1m 21.50secs on the fast track.

Nashville tired in the final furlong and Express Train took second by a half-length over Collusion Illusion in third.

Charlatan was bred by Stonestreet and purchased for $700,000 at the 2018 Keeneland September Yearling Sale and races for an ownership partnership of SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing and Madaket Stables.

“Bob had him ready to run. He told us he was the best horse of the bunch and today he showed he’s as brilliant as they come,” said Jack Wolf, the CEO of part-owners Starlight Racing.

“He picked up where he left off. Every one of his races has been a ‘wow’ performance. Sometimes we forget how fast these horses are, but he’s always been the brilliant one,” Baffert said afterwards.

The decision on where next is still to be made, Baffert said he would wait a week and consider either the Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes, the Saudi Cup, or Dubai World Cup.

Baffert ended the year with 16 Grade 1 races won despite four high profiles drug positives. “It’s one of the best years I’ve ever had I have some great owners who stuck behind me,” the trainer reflected.

La Brea

The Grade 1 La Brea Stakes was for three-year-old fillies also over seven furlongs and it gave Fair Maiden a first Grade 1 as the Godolphin–owned daughter of Street Boss defeated the Baffert-trained pair of Golden Principal and Merneith, and the Steve Asmussen-trained favourite Finite by two and a quarter lengths.

Ricardo Gonzalez was recording his first top-level win on the Eoin Harty-trained filly who was a 20/1 outsider.

American Oaks

The final Grade 1 was the American Oaks for three-year-old fillies over a mile on turf and it produced another good winner in the Chad Brown-trained Duopoly who beat Going To Vegas by two lengths with Graham Motion’s Royal Ascot Coronation Stakes second Sharing, sent off favourite, three-quarters of a length back in third.

Klaravich Stables’ run of success continued with another Grade 1 win, as the daughter of Animal Kingdom led throughout the 10-furlong race under Flavien Prat. Duopoly came in off another victory last month at Aqueduct.

“I thought on the backside someone was going to hook up with me, but lucky enough nobody did. When I asked her, she really kicked in,” her rider said.

The Grade 2 Mathis Brothers Mile Stakes over a turf mile went to the favourite, Smooth Like Strait (Midnight Lute), who beat 2018 Breeders’ Cup Turf Juvenile winner Storm The Court by three-quarters of a length for trainer Michael McCarthy with Umberto Rispoli in the saddle.

Last year’s Pegasus World Cup winner Mucho Gusto started at odds-on for the Grade 2 San Antonio Stakes over a mile and an eighth but could only finish fourth to Kiss Today Goodbye and Mike Smith. It was his first run since the Saudi Cup last season.

Irish-bred winner

The Irish-bred Cathkin Peak, fourth for Johnny Murtagh in a Navan maiden in August on his only run here, won a listed race in the Eddie Logan Stakes at Santa Anita on Sunday adding to his winning North American debut at Del Mar last month.

Sent off at 4/1 in a field of seven juveniles, the Alhebayeb gelding, under Flavien Pratt, rallied three-wide down to capture the mile turf contest.

Trainer Phil D’Amato said: “Ever since he arrived, he hasn’t done anything wrong and he keeps getting better and better.”