Surprise winner in the Malibu

There were a number of stories behind Johnny Eves’ surprise victory in the Grade I $250,000 Malibu Stakes before a crowd of 30,156 on Wednesday, opening day of Santa Anita’s 71st winter-spring meet.

There was the horse’s 39-year-old jockey, David Flores, who got off to a flying start by winning four races, three of them stakes.

There was the horse’s 62-year-old trainer, Jay Robbins, who got his first Grade I victory since 2001, when Tiznow accomplished the unequaled feat of winning the Breeders’ Cup Classic for a second consecutive year.

But maybe the most heartwarming story on a cool, crisp day at the Arcadia racetrack involved Johnny Eves’ owners, Carl Hilliard Jr., who until Nov. 1 was the mayor of Del Mar, and his wife Sharon.

The Hilliards, who own Mooncoin Stables, two days earlier had left for Hong Kong on vacation as an escape. After Wednesday’s win, their friend, breeder Pat Thompson-Longtin, explained why.

“They had just lost their 7-year-old Scottish Terrier, Teddy, and being the animal lovers they are, couldn’t bear to spend Christmas at home without him,” she said.

Thompson-Longtin owns Ridgeley Farms near Hemet, where the 3-year-old Johnny Eves was raised. She said the horse was named after Sharon Hilliard’s father.

Thompson-Longtin and her husband of three years, Richard Longtin, were trying to reach the Hilliards in Hong Kong to give them the good news and lift their spirits, but by late Wednesday they still hadn’t had any luck.

Johnny Eves, who went off at odds of 11-1, defeated 42-1 longshot Carrilero by one length, triggering a $1 exacta payoff of $451.20.

With 16-1 longshot Horse Greeley finishing third, the $1 trifecta paid $8,831.50. And 55-1 fourth-place finisher Hurry Up Austin made it a $120,856.50 superfecta.

Racing off the pace in a field of 14 in the seven-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds, Flores, aboard the winner, said:

“At the 5/16th pole, I just decided to go. This horse is very sharp now. We don’t know yet how good he is because he’s still learning.”

Flores earlier rode Bob Black Jack to victory in the $138,375 California Breeders’ Champion Stakes and also scored aboard Monterrey Jazz in the Grade III $122,100 Sir Beaumont Stakes.

In all, Flores rode in six races and besides the four wins also had a second and a fifth.

Bob Black Jack provided 33-year-old trainer Jim Kasparoff with his first stakes victory.

The horse is owned by Kasparoff’s brother, Tim, and Jeff Harmon.

There is no racing today. Racing resumes Friday and continues through Tuesday, then the new regular schedule of Thursday through Monday goes into effect.

larry.stewart@latimes.com