The Malibu Stakes on December 26th brought the heat to Santa Anita Park, with six horses sprinting seven furlongs for a juicy $300,000 prize. In the end, it was Raging Torrent who stole the show, blazing through the course in 1:21.54 to snag a cool $189,000. With Frankie Dettori in the saddle, the 5-2 favorite lived up to the hype, thrilling the crowd of 41,562 on opening day of Santa Anita’s 90th-anniversary winter meet. Oh, and if you’d placed $7.20 on him, you’d be smiling right now too. Trailing behind, Stronghold put in a solid effort for second place, pocketing $60,000. But the real drama unfolded at the bottom of the leaderboard, where none other than Kentucky Derby champ Mystik Dan flopped.

The 3-year-old thoroughbred, made a highly anticipated return to the track after competing in all three 2024 Triple Crown events. Fans gathered at Santa Anita to catch a glimpse of the Kentucky Derby winner, who was the first Derby champ to run in the Malibu Stakes since Silver Charm in 1997.

Mystik Dan hadn’t raced in a one-turn event since the fall of his 2-year-old season, and his two previous sprints at Keeneland and Churchill Downs had him battling on the pace. However, California’s unique speed on dirt proved challenging for him. In the Malibu Stakes, Mystik Dan broke from the gate in fourth, behind familiar competitors like Stronghold, Pilot Commander, and Imagination, who were well-versed in the SoCal circuit.

Despite his early positioning, Mystik Dan couldn’t get into the race and ended up finishing a disappointing sixth, eight lengths behind the winner. This was a tough outing for the horse who had previously dominated the Triple Crown scene, leaving fans questioning what went wrong in the fast-paced Santa Anita conditions. Cue racing fan Tinky on X with a theory that’s as spicy as it is thought-provoking. According to them, Mystik Dan’s win in February’s Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn was impressive, but the Derby win? That was a head-scratcher. Dirt surfaces, they argue, have never been Mystik Dan’s strong suit.

“What I am suggesting, and will flesh out further, is that despite his victory in the biggest race on the American racing calendar, I am not convinced that Mystik Dan is ideally suited to dirt surfaces,” Tinky shared. “While some top horses prove intrinsically versatile and athletic enough to succeed in big races on both dirt and turf, they are rarely equally effective on both surfaces. The three factors that are most likely to impact such preferences are conformation, action, and pedigree.” Tinky’s theory gets even more intriguing when you dive into Mystik Dan’s track record.

Back in February at the Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn, Mystik Dan was a revelation on the muddy track. The horse skimmed the ground with fluid strides and unleashed a breathtaking extension in the final furlong. It was a performance that screamed dominance—and hinted at a natural affinity for softer, more forgiving surfaces.

The user explained, “He is clearly a very athletic horse, and if you watch a replay of the Derby, he certainly doesn’t appear uncomfortable. But at the same time, I would argue that there was a bit more roundness to his action, and he was not extending to the same degree. Given how different the two surfaces were, that shouldn’t come as a surprise, but it does suggest to me that fast dirt surfaces, which break away, may not be ideal for Mystik Dan.”

In other words, Mystik Dan might just be a turf horse at heart, thriving where the ground holds firm and doesn’t shift underfoot. If Tinky’s right, that could explain why the Kentucky Derby champ looked so out of sorts on the fast dirt at Santa Anita. Regardless, fans are left scratching their heads over his last-place finish—and they didn’t hold back in sharing their frustration.

Social media lit up with frustrated and harsh takes on Mystik Dan’s performance in the Malibu Stakes

Mystik Dan certainly had a lot of doubters after his underwhelming performance in the 7f Malibu Stakes, and the fans weren’t shy about voicing their frustrations. Some seemed quick to write him off, claiming that his Kentucky Derby win was nothing more than a fluke. “Mystik Dan got the dream trip in the Derby. He’s not that good,” said one fan. But, hold up, let’s not jump the gun here. This horse has proven he’s got serious talent, not just in the Derby but in other races too.

Let’s not forget his second race at Churchill Downs, where Mystik Dan dominated with a margin of 7 ¾ lengths. And his impressive performance at the Southern Stakes in February? That’s not exactly a one-off fluke. So, to dismiss him based on one bad race? That’s a bit premature.

But still, another user echoed the same sentiment: “No great shakes, what a bust Mystik Dan was, and continuing to prove his Derby win was nothing more than a fluke, just like Mage and Rich Strike.” For those keeping track, Rich Strike, the 2022 Kentucky Derby champ, also couldn’t replicate his big win and faded after that. And Mage, last year’s Derby winner, hasn’t exactly lived up to the hype post-Derby either. So, it’s fair to wonder: Is Mystik Dan headed for the same fate? Not so fast, though.

It’s way too early to call it. His drop in performance could be for any number of reasons, and one of the biggest factors might be the lengthy time off. “Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan is returning to the racetrack in about 5 minutes in the 7-furlong Malibu Stakes at Santa Anita. Hasn’t raced since the Belmont. Very interesting spot to drop him in off the layoff,” one user tweeted before the race. Mystik Dan had been off since June, after finishing eighth in the Belmont—a long time for a thoroughbred to stay out of action. So yeah, that could’ve been a big factor in his performance. His jockey, Brian Hernandez Jr., will need to keep that in mind moving forward.

As for the winners, Raging Torrent, ridden by Frankie Dettori, celebrated with his signature flying dismount. “Of course, I was afraid of Mystik Dan, but I thought the day to beat him was today. At seven-eighths, my horse was very sharp and he proved it,” Dettori, the legend with a total of 81 Royal Ascot wins, said.

For Mystik Dan, this race marked his first sprint in over a year. The last time a current Kentucky Derby winner raced at Santa Anita was California Chrome in 2015. After his narrow Derby win, Mystik Dan finished second in the Preakness, so he’s certainly no slouch. Jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. said, “He broke good, but it just seemed like we were always chasing. I think shortening up took away from him. After running a mile and a quarter, it is tough to go back to seven-eighths. The horse is fine.”

But for now, all of these theories are a bit early to call. Mystik Dan should be given another shot to prove himself. After all, it could just be a one-off bad performance. “Just not Mystic Dan’s day. Glad he came back okay. Looking forward to his next race!” said one fan. And that’s the hope—let’s wait and see what comes next for the Derby champion. With some time, maybe he’ll be back and better than ever.