Malibu Pier scores in depleted Beverly Hills

Spendthrift Farm's homebred MALIBU PIER (Malibu Moon) easily proved

best in Sunday's $98,000

Beverly Hills H. (G3), taking the 1 1/4-mile turf test by 1 3/4

lengths on the wire with jockey Brice Blanc aboard. The Carla Gaines

trainee was sent off the 7-5 second choice in the scratched reduced

four-horse field and paid $4.80 and $2.20 after show wagering was

canceled.

First Settler (War Chant) delayed the start of the race when getting

loose during the post parade. The Neil Drysdale ran off around the track

before eventually being caught by the outriders and subsequently

scratched.

With the field now reduced to four, one would think the race would

proceed without a hitch. Unfortunately for Cozi Rosie (Pleasantly

Perfect) that didn't happen as she broke in and clipped heels with

Restless Soul (GB) (Singspiel [Ire]), who ducked in a bit when the gates

opened. Restless Soul proceeded to the front soon after and set splits

of :25 1/5, :49 4/5, 1:13 4/5 and 1:37 1/5 while tracked by Malibu Pier.

The eventual winner took control near the sixteenth-pole and drew clear

to stop the clock in 2:01.

"It was a beautiful trip. It turned out the way I planned it on paper," Blanc

said. "I was hoping Joe (Talamo on Restless Soul) would go, like he did in the

Santa Barbara (G2). (Malibu Pier) settled down real nicely for me today and just

kind of picked it up. I thought I could outkick Joe's horse -- I was more

worried about Cozi Rosie getting the jump on me. When Joe picked it up on the

lead, I went right on with him and I just tried to make the same move I did in

the Santa Barbara. She just drew away from them."

Malibu Pier's scorecard now reads 11-6-1-1, $407,200. 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 a closing third to Cozi Rosie in the Buena Vista H.

(G2). She employed front-running tactics for much of the way in the Santa Ana S.

(G2) next out, but sneakily yielded on the far turn, only to angle to the

outside and come again to earn her first stakes victory. A win in the Santa

Barbara S. (G2), once again over Cozi Rosie and Restless Soul, followed, but the

four-year-old miss posted an uncharacteristic fifth in the Gamely S. (G1) last

out.

"I know what was wrong going into her last race but I really don't want to

talk about it. She just didn't go into the race perfect, let's just put it that

way," Gaines said. "Not in terms of soundness, she's a very sound filly.