Surfside Tiara exits key race to take Anoakia

ARCADIA, Calif. - Fear the fillies trainer Jerry Hollendorfer started in the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante on Sept. 5.

All three have won stakes at Santa Anita this fall. Race winner Songbird returned to win the Grade 1 Chandelier Stakes on Sept. 26. Stays in Vegas, who was fifth in the Debutante, won Saturday’s Surfer Girl Stakes. Sunday, Surfside Tiara, seventh in the Del Mar Debutante, won the $74,000 Anoakia Stakes at six furlongs.

“She rebounded,” Hollendorfer said. “We thought she tried in that race, but it didn’t go her way.”

Surfside Tiara’s effort in the Anoakia Stakes cannot be faulted. Ridden by Rafael Bejarano, Surfside Tiara ($7.60) rallied from fifth in a field of seven to win by a half-length over Uptown Twirl, a 9-1 shot who led by a length at the eighth pole.

Find Joy, a 29-1 outsider, finished third, followed by Miss Big Stuff, Magnolias in Bloom, Lemhill Basr, and Star of Munster. Miss Big Stuff was the 5-2 favorite. She was as close as third with a furlong to go and was beaten 9 3/4 lengths.

Surfside Tiara was patiently ridden by Bejarano Lemhill Basr set fractions of 21.77 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 45.05 for a half-mile. With a quarter-mile to go, Surfside Tiara was within 1 1/2 lengths of Lemhill Basr, who led into the stretch.

Surfside Tiara was timed in 1:10.84. Owned by a partnership, she has won 2 of 4 starts and earned $96,350.

By Scat Daddy, Surfside Tiara won her second start against maidens at Del Mar on Aug. 9. In the Del Mar Debutante, she was third early but faded to finish 17 lengths behind Songbird, the future-book favorite to win the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Keeneland on Oct. 31.