Madaket Road, Man O Rose Lead Palos Verdes Stakes At Santa Anita Sunday
At 0h02, on February 15, 2026 • By Santa Anita Park
Streaking California-bred Man O Rose steps up in class for trainer Jeff Mullins and Madaket Road, fourth in the Grade I Malibu on opening day of the Santa Anita Classic Meet, returns for trainer Bob Baffert in Sunday’s Grade III, $100,000 Palos Verdes Stakes for older horses going six furlongs.
In the seven-furlong Malibu for 3-year-olds on Dec. 28, Madaket Road led after the opening half mile but weakened in the stretch to check in fourth. A 4-year-old colt by Quality Road, Madaket Road last year was runner-up in three graded stakes including the Grade I Woody Stephens going seven furlongs at Saratoga. Owned by SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables and partners, Madaket Road will be ridden by Kazushi Kimura for the first time.
Man O Rose makes his graded stakes debut after four consecutive stakes wins against statebreds. Most recently, the 5-year-old gelding by Stanford romped by nine lengths in the six-furlong Don Valpredo California Cup Sprint on Jan. 17. A homebred for B and B Zeitz Stables, Man O Rose is 18: 11-3-0 with $572,965 in earnings. He’ll be ridden by Emisael Jaramillo.
Pilot Commander will join stablemate Madaket Road in the Palos Verdes for Baffert. On Jan. 16 at Santa Anita, Pilot Commander returned from a 9 ½-month layoff and was beaten a neck by veteran graded winner Midnight Mammoth in a high-level allowance going seven furlongs. Last March, the 5-year-old horse by Justify won the GIII San Carlos going seven furlongs before hitting the sidelines. He is 8: 4-3-0 with $254,800 in earnings for owners CSLR Racing Partners. Pilot Commander have Florent Geroux aboard for the first time.
