Malibu Pier comes roaring back in Santa Ana

Malibu Pier got first run on Turning Top, who recovered from a bobble on the far turn (Benoit Photos) After executing a tactical retreat on the far turn, Spendthrift Farm’s homebred MALIBU PIER (Malibu Moon) rallied boldly in the stretch to earn her first stakes victory in Saturday’s $150,000 Santa Ana S. (G2) at Santa Anita. Under Rafael Bejarano, the Carla Gaines trainee swept past longtime pace rival Lilly Fa Pootz (Gilded Time) and safely held 9-5 favorite Turning Top (Ire) (Pivotal) at bay by a length. Malibu Pier, the 2-1 second choice off her third in the February 21 Buena Vista H. (G2), returned $6, $3 and $2.40. Malibu Pier broke on top from the rail, but was soon joined by Lilly Fa Pootz. The two sprinted away from the rest of the field as they vied through fractions of :23 1/5 and :46 2/5. On the far turn, the complexion of the race changed. First Lilly Fa Pootz pulled away from Malibu Pier while reaching the six-furlong mark in 1:10 2/5, then Turning Top, who had been settled in third, bobbled and slipped on the rain-slick turf. As it turned out, Malibu Pier and Turning Top were far from finished.

Malibu Pier was still traveling comfortably for Bejarano, who had just
decided to back out of the duel at that point. Coming around Lilly Fa Pootz
turning into the lane, Malibu Pier collared her in midstretch and drove to the
front. Meanwhile, Turning Top got back into stride, and emerged as the biggest
threat inside the final furlong. Malibu Pier was not about to relinquish the
advantage, though, and kept finding more to complete 1 1/8 miles on the good
ground in 1:48.

“I was on an easy lead the first turn and I had a lot of horse,” Bejarano
said. “I knew number 8 (Lilly Fa Pootz) was going to try and go to the lead. I
tried to make sure my horse was relaxed. At the half-mile pole I decided to let
her relax. I gave her a little breather before I came to the turn and then let
her go. When I came to the top of the stretch I let her shoot to the lead, and
she showed me a big kick. She was really good today.”

“She was feeling good in the paddock, but I wasn’t worried,” Gaines said of
Malibu Pier’s being on the muscle beforehand. “She just had her game face on.
She was going so easy (when passed by Lilly Fa Pootz). He (Bejarano) was just
giving her a breather. Basically, I just told him to let her break and find her
place in the race, assuming we would be up fairly close. We knew that probably
Hollendorfer’s filly (Lilly Fa Pootz) was going to go.”

After a 1 1/4-length gap came the remaining four finishers, all necks apart.
Lilly Fa Pootz just outfinished herJerry Hollendorfer-trained stablemate
Washington Bridge (Yankee Gentleman) for third, with Eclair de Lune (Ger) (Marchand
de Sable) and It Tiz (Tiznow) rounding out the order under the wire. Blue Maiden
(GB) (Medicean) and Church Camp (Forest Camp) were scratched.

Malibu Pier now sports a mark of 8-4-1-1, $252,200. The chestnut began her
career on turf, winning her first two outings as a sophomore last summer, and
wound up fourth in her stakes debut in the Harold C. Ramser Sr. H. (G3). Malibu
Pier tried the main track in her next pair, and proved herself a multi-surface
performer. She romped by 4 3/4 lengths in an off-the-turf allowance optional
claimer over Hollywood Park’s Cushion Track, and closed for runner-up honors in
the La Brea S. (G1) on Santa Anita’s dirt. Malibu Pier threw in her only poor
race when trailing in the El Encino S. (G2), but regrouped with her third in the
Buena Vista.

“She’s very versatile,” Gaines said. “We have a lot of options, but we’re
just going to enjoy this for now.”

The Kentucky-bred was produced by Grade 2 queen Blue Moon (Fr) (Lomitas
[GB]), the winner of the 2002 Buena Vista and runner-up in the 2000 Queen
Elizabeth II Invitational Challenge Cup (G1). Her latest foals are a juvenile
filly named Greer’s Secret (Mr. Greeley) and an unnamed yearling filly by Malibu
Moon, a full sister to Malibu Pier. This is the family of Grade 1 heroine
Passing Shot (A.P. Indy) and Spanish Horse of the Year Bannaby (Dyhim Diamond
[Ire]).