Malibu Stacy favored in Safely Kept

Outsider Art figures to be an outsider in the Safely Kept. Photo by The Racing Biz.

From a Maryland Jockey Club release

Jim and Susan Hill’s Malibu Stacy, second at 40-1 in the seven-furlong Raven Run (G2) Oct. 22 at Keeneland, returns as the narrow 7-2 program favorite in the Safely Kept.

Trained by New York-based George Weaver, the Tizway filly has finished first or second in four of her last five starts, beaten a neck in the 6 ½-furlong Victory Ride (G3) July 9 at Belmont Park. The exception came in her lone turf start, the Sept. 9 Christiecat, where she was a distant ninth.

“She’s training well. She’s been good all year. I guess if she runs as well as she did at Keeneland she’s got to have a big shot in there, so we’re hoping that she can maintain the form she’s showed us already,” Weaver said. “I like [the distance]. We really haven’t had a chance to experiment too much. I did experiment going six on the turf which I regret doing, but it just so happens that she’s run big races at that distance, so we’re going to stick with it.”

Shadwell Stable’s Takrees was seventh after a wide trip in the Raven’s Run, which came six weeks after she came flying to be third in the six-furlong Prioress (G2) at Saratoga. In her other stakes start, she was beaten a neck in the six-furlong Cicada in March on the inner track at Aqueduct.

“She’s doing well and it’s straight 3-year-old fillies, so we’ve been pointing for this spot,” trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said. “She’s a nice filly. She’s doing well and we’re very happy with her. We hope it’s not too tough.”

Making her third straight stakes start but first on the dirt is Alex G. Campbell Jr. homebred Ultra Brat, trained by Fair Hill, Md.-based Graham Motion. The daughter of Uncle Mo closed on the far outside to win the Christiecat by a neck, then was part of the early pace before fading to ninth in the one-mile Pebbles.

“With her we’re kind of looking more for the distance. I’m assuming that probably she’s going to be better on the turf in the future but she’s also won on the dirt and won well. It’s a chance to run against 3-year-olds and keeping her sprinting, and there really aren’t that many opportunities to do that on the turf at this time of year,” Motion said. “This seemed like the logical spot for her. She’s a nice filly. I do believe that her future is probably going to be sprinting; the question is going to be which surface.”

Rounding out the field are Kelsocait, Formby, Clare’s Dowery, Outsider Art, Pleasant Mine, Tale for Ruby, Little Cyclone, Decoratedwithstyle, Jessica Krupnick, Kalabaka and Atlantis Romance.