The Factor zipped along on a fast Santa Anita track to win the Malibu Stakes
Trainer Bob Baffert was relieved when his 3-year-old colt, The Factor, drew the outside post number 11 for the Grade 1, $300,000 Malibu Stakes, and his excitement was for obvious reasons, because in The Factor’s last two starts, the colt drew inside posts
on each occasion which is now safe to say cost him both races.
However, on 26 December, 2011, on the opening day of the Santa Anita meet, The Factor, didn’t have to worry about getting crammed for space or giving way in that matter. Under jockey Martin Garcia, The Factor broke well out of the gate and dueled with the
Joel Rosario’s ride, Centralinteligence.
It was a fight for the early lead and Centralinteligence just wasn’t good enough for the rampant The Factor, as the former dropped back around the three eighths pole and gave The Factor all the space to go all out.
Fog City Stable and George Bolton’s The Factor then aimed at setting brisk fractions which he accomplished by going the opening quarter mile in 22.61 second, half mile in 44.61 seconds and then reached the six furlong marker in 1 minute and 7.96 seconds.
The Kentucky bred son of War Front, out of mare Greyciousness by Miswaki, The Factor zipped along the track to cover the seven furlong distance in 1 minute and 19.89 seconds, just a little shy of breaking the track record of 1 minute and 19.70 seconds.
Corey Nakatnai’s ride, Rothko, finished in second, three and a half lengths off the leader.
“He was really sharp and was ready to win,” Garcia said. “Plus, he really likes this track. I decided to let him run and put me wherever he wanted to put me, and look at what he did. I didn’t want to go to the rail today. I wanted to stay a little bit off
and if somebody wanted to go, I just let them go and stayed outside. I don’t think there was a horse that could beat him today, he was really sharp.”“
The Factor has now gone on to win 5 times out of nine career starts.
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