Others expected for the Malibu are Wooden Phone and Explicit. David Copperfield is a possible entrant.
The connections of Caller One remain undecided whether to run the 3-year-old in the seven-furlong Malibu Stakes (gr. I), where he would likely face Haskell Invitational (gr. I) winner Dixie Union, or take on older horses in the 5 1/2-furlong El Conejo Handicap on New Year's Eve at Santa Anita. The $200,000 Malibu will be run on Tuesday, opening day at Santa Anita."The key race for us is the race in Dubai," said trainer Jim Chapman. "He ran harder in the Breeders' Cup (Sprint) than I wanted. So we'll go into whichever race sets him up best for Dubai. The Golden Shaheen is a $1-million race and being a gelding, whatever he earns is going to have to be on the racetrack."Dixie Union, who finished second to Caller One earlier this year in the seven-furlong Lazaro Barrera Memorial Stakes at Hollywood Park, is unraced since the Travers Stakes (gr. I), in which he finished fourth."He was tired out of the Travers and had hurt (his left front) foot," said trainer Richard Mandella. "He tore a shoe off and it pulled some of the wall away. We needed to take time to grow the foot out so we could nail a shoe on it. We did that, it's in good shape now and we've pointed to the Malibu all along."On Thursday, Dixie Union breezed four furlongs under exercise rider Janeen Painter."He just had his last work going into the race," said Mandella of Thursday's work. "We got him in :47 and 4. He looks great."Alex Solis will ride Dixie Union in the Malibu.
