First-timer Cousins Lew wins Malcolm Anderson

ALBANY, Calif. - Cousins Lew ($9) stalked a fast early pace and held off the late charge of Cause to Believe after taking the lead near the 16th pole to capture the $75,000 Malcolm Anderson Stakes in his debut Saturday at Golden Gate Fields.

A $120,000 Ocala purchase in March, Cousins Lew sat off Don Jaun (cq) Con and I Dream of Genius, who set sizzling fractions of 20.97 and 44.48 in the five-furlong race for 2-year-olds. Cousins Lew moved into contention three wide around the turn and wore down the pacesetters in the lane.

Cause to Believe, outsprinted early, rallied wide and swung out even wider into the lane to close well for second, but Cousins Lew had enough to win the race by three-quarters of a length in 57.83 seconds. Cause to Believe was one-half of a length in front of favored Don Jaun Con.

"(Trainer Brian Koriner) told me right away, 'I found the best horse for you,' and he certainly did," winning jockey Frank Alvarado said. "This horse can do whatever he wants. He settled early, and, at the 3/16ths, I asked him and he gave me everything. He came back real good."

Koriner said drawing outside in the field of nine worked well for the colt who was able to avoid dirt being thrown in his face. He said the Florida-bred would probably race next at Del Mar.

Cousins Lew, owned by Wind River Stables, earned $41,250 for the victory.