Governor Malibu Takes Gander at Aqueduct
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Photo: Coglianese Photos/Joe Labozzetta
Governor Malibu pulls away late to win the Gander Stakes.
After battling to pass Sudden Surprise throughout the stretch, Governor Malibu found one more gear near the sixteenth pole and surged past that rival to win the $100,000 Gander Stakes by about 2 1/2 lengths Feb. 6 at Aqueduct Racetrack.
The victory in the mile-and-70-yard test for New York-bred 3-year-olds marked the first stakes win for Jump Sucker Stable and Oak Bluff Stables' Governor Malibu.
Governor Malibu closed out his juvenile season with a win in a one-turn mile race Nov. 14 at Aqueduct, an effort that followed his third-place finish in the one-turn mile Sleepy Hollow Stakes for New York-breds at Belmont Park. The son of Malibu Moon finished second in his initial two career starts, both maiden races for New York-breds at six furlongs.
Entered by trainer Christophe Clement for his first two-turn try in the Gander, Governor Malibu raced just behind Sudden Surprise through a slow half-mile of :50.29 and six furlongs in 1:14.89. Those two entered the stretch together and Sudden Surprise and Jose Ortiz repelled several efforts by Governor Malibu and Manny Franco. But in deep stretch, Governor Malibu prevailed, surging clear to complete the race in 1:44.78 on a good track.
"They wanted me close to the leader because we knew there wasn't much pace in the race, and that's what we did," Franco said. "The blinkers helped a lot; he put me up there. I didn't have to use him or anything, he just put me close. He knew what to do."
Repole Stable's Sudden Surprise held second. The son of Giant Surprise is undefeated in five starts up to seven furlongs; his only two losses have come at one-mile or longer.
Governor Malibu paid $11.20, $4.50, and $2.90 across the board, while Sudden Surprise returned $3.90 and $2.70 to place and show. Longshot Taoiseach finished third in a second straight stakes for New York-breds, returning $4 to show.
Bred in New York by Richard Leahy Oak Bluff Stables Governor Malibu is the first starter and stakes winner for the stakes-winning Langfuhr mare Akilina.