Away since his trip home from Saudi Arabia, Karl Watson, Mike Pegram, and Paul Weitman’s McKinzie returned to business June 7 and took the $200,000 Triple Bend Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita Park in a hand ride from Mike Smith.

“This was a perfect out for him. He had a cozy post and he showed his class,” trainer Bob Baffert stated. “It was workmanlike, and this’ll really move him up for next time.”

Baffert said the Triple Bend served as a prep for the July 4 Runhappy Metropolitan Handicap (G1) at Belmont Park, a race in which McKinzie was the runner-up last summer.

The Triple Bend cut the 5-year-old son of Street Sense  back to seven furlongs for the first time since winning the Malibu Stakes (G1) in December 2018. It was his second start of the campaign after concluding 11th in the Feb. 29 Saudi Cup at King Abdulaziz Racetrack where he raced behind a wall of horses.

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Baffert said the horse lost weight from the trip and received a month off after returning stateside.

“We’re happy he’s back after that fiasco (in the Saudi Cup),” Baffert said. “He’s been looking really good training, in all of his works. It’s great to have him back.”

“He is one of those throwback champions,” Smith added. “They could run five-eighths of a mile or a mile and a quarter. He just seems to be able to do it all. It is just amazing some horses can do something like that.”

McKinzie broke from the outside post as the 1-2 favorite in a field of five. He was fifth through the opening quarter-mile and fourth at the half-mile point as stablemate Ax Man showed the way with fractions of :23.59 and :46.13. Fashionably Fast showed speed out of the gate before settling in second, a half-length off Ax Man.

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