Del Mar: Point Piper upsets Brubaker Stakes

DEL MAR, Calif. -- Point Piper bounced around Ireland, Texas, Kentucky, and Louisiana in the last two years before landing with trainer Jerry Hollendorfer in Southern California this summer.

The transition to the West Coast put Point Piper in a surprising place on Wednesday – the winner’s circle of the $86,880 Harry F. Brubaker Stakes. The longest shot in a field of seven, Point Piper ($62) closed from sixth to win by a half-length over 12-1 Global View. Motown Men, the 8-5 favorite, finished third, a nose behind Global View.

Ridden by Mario Gutierrez, Point Piper ran a mile in 1:35.89.

The Brubaker was the stakes debut for Point Piper, a 5-year-old horse by Giant’s Causeway who began his career in Ireland with trainer Aidan O’Brien. Point Piper had one win in five starts in that country before being sent to Texas in the fall of 2013.

Over the next 22 months, he was trained by Jerenesto Torrez, Mike Maker, and Oscar Modica, winning an optional claimer at Turfway Park in January, 2014, and an allowance race at Lone Star Park in May. Following the May race, Point Piper joined Hollendorfer’s stable. In his first start in Southern California, Point Piper was eighth of nine after encountering trouble early in an optional claimer on turf.

Owned by a partnership, Point Piper has won 4 of 15 starts and earned $106,725.