Malibu Smart took until the end of her 3-year-old season to break her maiden. It would be nearly three more years before the daughter of English Channel found the winner's circle again. Yet, making her graded stakes debut as a 6-year-old at Keeneland, the chestnut mare rose to the occasion, capturing the $350,000 Dowager Stakes (G3T) by 1 3/4 lengths Oct. 18.
In earning her first graded stakes victory, Malibu Smart also won her third consecutive race—all while traveling 1 1/2-miles on the turf.
En route to her latest triumph, Malibu Smart was taken under a tight hold by jockey Ben Curtis at the start of the race as Pretty Tapit prompted early pacesetter Modarosa through opening fractions of :25.70, :51.34 and 1:17.11.
"She broke smartly and I was able to kind of let her run into the first turn and as soon as the leaders got in front of me, she relaxed, came back, started breathing and got in a rhythm," Curtis said. "From there, I was very comfortable.
"Past the half-mile (pole) I just picked up the reins on her and I knew I had plenty of horse there. After running at Kentucky Downs the last race (winning an allowance race Aug. 29 at a mile and a half), stamina, I didn't think, was going to be a problem."
Curtis kept Malibu Smart a cool and collected third as he hugged the rail. Coming into the final turn, Curtis piloted Malibu Smart in between horses and near the three-sixteenths pole, and the mare edged clear of the field with a furlong to run. Grade 1 winner Fionn made a powerful move on the outside, coming up short to finish second. Speed Shopper, who was favored at 3-1, was third.
"She hit the lane so strong I was able to commit at the quarter pole," Curtis said of Malibu Smart. "She just kept finding (more) for me and I couldn't pull her up after the wire, so she's really enjoying life."
The final time for the 12-furlong race was 2:33.27. Malibu Smart paid $31.40 to win.
Malibu Smart proved to be a bargain claim by trainer Mike Maker, who claimed the mare for $30,000 last year on behalf of co-owner Michael Hui, who campaigns the mare in partnership with Phil Forte.
Maker said the added distance has been the key to Malibu Smart's recent run of success as she entered the Dowager off back-to-back allowance optional claiming race wins over 12 furlongs.
"We finally got to run her a mile and a half. That's the key, and I think she wants to run farther than that," Maker said.
Hui was elated with the mare's win.
"(It feels) phenomenal (to be in the stakes winner's circle at Keeneland)," Hui said. "I felt pretty good (about Malibu Smart's chances), but it is Keeneland and it's always special to win here, even though I'm an Arkansan, Oaklawn (Park), and own turf horses."
