Goal Oriented (Not This Time) notched a Grade I feather to his 2025 cap, but also further gilded a fabulous year for his sire, as he strolled home powerfully to take the GI Malibu Stakes at Santa Anita on opening day.
The ‘TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard’ burst onto the scene Apr. 6 at this venue in a maiden special that yielded next out winners, and eventual stakes horses, namely MSW Train the Trainer (Dialed In) and SP Varney (Vekoma) while Concord Bridge (Medaglia d’Oro) and Day and Age (Omaha Beach) both returned to break their maidens next out. From there he picked up another victory against optional claimers at Churchill Downs and was sent to Pimlico for the infamously rough running of the GI Preakness Stakes in mid-May. Running third in both the GI Haskell Stakes and GI Pennsylvania Derby July 19 and Sept. 20, respectively, he was last seen running sixth at the World Championships in the GI Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile behind GISW NYsos (Nyquist). That stablemate returned earlier on the card to once again run another fellow Baffert-trainee into submission in the GII Laffit Pincay Jr. Stakes.
Goal Oriented, racing with blinkers off and the even-money favorite, was content to watch the race unfold behind eager leaders as they sailed through an opening quarter in :21.87 and a half in :44.30. He improved his position from the overland route as Modus Bestia (Maclean’s Music) faded to his inside after being the first to the front up the backstretch. Goal Oriented was the looming danger as they swung for home, and entered the lane with a full head of steam, inhaling Midland Money (Shancelot) and Madaket Road (Quality Road) as that pair battled from the inside. The eventual winner was never threatened on the far outside as he hit the wire much the best. Midland Money fought on for second while Speedy Wilson (Tough Sunday) picked up the pieces for third. The final time was 1:20.97. Baffert claimed three of the top four spots and a record seventh win in the contest.
“Bob had told me last week that this horse was doing really well,” said co-owner Tom Ryan. “I’ve seen him working with Nevada Beach, and when Nevada Beach ran so well earlier [in the Laffit Pincay, second to Nysos], it kind of gave me confidence that this was the potential outcome. He got a nice draw on the outside.”