Malibu Pier to master the one mile and a quarter distance in the Yellow Ribbon Stakes at Santa Anita
Last year at Hollywood Park, the Grade 1 Yellow Ribbon Stakes presented by Emirates Airline comes back to Santa Anita Park to commence on 1 October, 2011, on grass for 3-year-old and above fillies and mare at about a classic distance of 1 1/14 miles.
The prestigious races reeled in a heavy field of nine fillies and mares including the likes of Harmonious, City to City, Dubawi Heights, Cozi Rosie and five other females to fight it out on the Santa Anita’s turf course.
The Carla Gaines trained 4-year-old filly, Malibu Pier, is a multiple grade 2 winner, and she will be out there to mark a win in her first grade 1 event, but she will have to run hard.
Jockey Brice Blanc, who has ridden Malibu Pier in her last four consecutive races, is wary of the competitiveness the Yellow Ribbon Stakes brings to the field.
He said that Malibu Pier will have to run extremely hard to have a chance in that experienced mix, but the advantage Brice Blanc has with Malibu Pier, is that both times she ran over a distance 1 ¼ miles, she won it with him.
In their first race together in the Grade 2 Santa Barbara Handicap at Santa Anita Park’s turf course, that is where the Yellow Ribbon is held, the pair dodged past their rivals to win the race and completed the distance in 2 minute and 0.22 seconds.
She defeated Cozi Rosie who is also bidding against her in the Yellow Ribbon Stakes. Second race at that distance was in the Grade 3 Beverly Hills at Hollywood Park on 26 June, 2011,where the pair downed yet again Cozi Rosie and Restless Soul, who were the
2md 3rd in the Santa Barbara Handicap.
That time Brice Blanc and Malibu Pier completed the distance in 2 minutes and 1.01 seconds. So, the older filly has a knack of doing well at a mile and a quarter event.
Although, Malibu Pier is coming off a second place finish in the Grade 2 John C Mabee Handicap at Del Mar over a distance of 1 1/8 miles on 14 August, 2011.
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