In a race that changed dramatically when expected speed Venti Valentine (Firing Line) stumbled to her knees not once but twice out of the gate, it was Raging Sea (Curlin) who took advantage and pulled away late to win the GII Shuvee Stakes at Saratoga Sunday.
A talented juvenile who hit the board in both the GI Darley Alcibiades Stakes and the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, Raging Sea struggled to regain form as a 3-year-old, contesting mostly optional claimers at Keeneland and Saratoga before ending her season a winner back in graded company when she defeated 'TDN Rising Star' Julia Shining (Curlin) in the GIII Comely Stakes at Aqueduct. Back in April as a 4-year-old, she stayed on track with a strong win in the GIII Doubledogdare Stakes Apr. 19 and most recently ran fourth in the GI Ogden Phipps Stakes on Belmont Day at Saratoga June 8.
The 8-5 second choice found herself in a nice spot towards the front as Venti Valentine stumbled out of contention just to her inside in the opening strides. Enjoying a rail-hugging trip into the backstretch, Raging Sea opted to take back just a bit and let 7-1 shot Misty Veil (Tonalist) handle the tempo through fractions of :23.94 and :48.91. Never far off the rail or the lead, the Chad Brown runner had the door swing wide open for her off the turn as Misty Veil drifted out a touch and took full advantage, cutting the corner and opening up with only 7-5 favorite Shotgun Hottie (Gun Runner) making up any ground into her lead late.
“There was a lot of commotion inside with the two [Venti Valentine] and the one [Shotgun Hottie], so I think Flavien just [had] another brilliant ride and decision to take the initiative,” said Brown. “Our horse on paper could've been last early, she is not a front-running horse, but he got ahead of the one, which I think was the key decision that first turn which took that horse out of her preferred running style. So, in the context of almost a match race maybe between the two on class, being positioned ahead of that horse was really a big advantage from that point forward.”
Brown noted that the GI Personal Ensign Stakes Aug. 23 could be a next start for Raging Sea.
“It could be. The way she ran today, it would be a big step up for that but she's always knocking on the door in those Grade I's and there might be one with her name on it.”
Pedigree Note:
One of 105 stakes winners for Curlin, Raging Sea is out the unraced Storm Cat mare Stormy Welcome, a mare who sold first for $1.6m as a yearling at Keeneland in 2007 and then again for $600,000 as a broodmare to Reynolds Bell at KEENOV in 2015. From 8 foals to race, Stormy Welcome has produced five winners including MSP Welcoming (Tapit) who herself is responsible for MSP Reconcile (War Front). Readers will recognize third dam Weekend Surprise, a daughter of Secretariat, as Broodmare of the Year and the dam of the late, great A.P. Indy (Seattle Slew) along with MGISW Summer Squall (Storm Bird) and a host of other graded stakes winners. Stormy Welcome's last foal is a yearling filly by City of Light.
Sunday, Saratoga
SHUVEE S.-GII, $194,000, Saratoga, 7-21, 4yo/up, f/m, 1 1/8m, 1:51.95, ft.
1–RAGING SEA, 124, f, 4, by Curlin
1st Dam: Stormy Welcome, by Storm Cat
2nd Dam: Welcome Surprise, by Seeking the Gold
3rd Dam: Weekend Surprise, by Secretariat
($300,000 RNA Ylg '21 KEESEP). O/B-Alpha Delta Stables, LLC
(KY); T-Chad C. Brown; J-Flavien Prat. $110,000. Lifetime
Record: GISP, 10-5-1-1, $785,978. *1/2 to Welcoming (Tapit),
MSP, $179,812. Werk Nick Rating: A.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-Cross pedigree or
free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Shotgun Hottie, 122, m, 5, Gun Runner–Re Entry, by Malibu
Moon. ($45,000 2yo '21 OBSAPR). O-Omar Aldabbagh & Jeff
Ganje; B-Vincent Colbert (KY); T-Cherie DeVaux. $40,000.
3–Misty Veil, 124, m, 6, Tonalist–Genuine Class, by Birdstone.
($210,000 6yo '24 KEEJAN). O-Resolute Racing; B-William
Humphries & Altair Farms LLC (KY); T-Michael J. Maker.
$24,000.
Margins: 2HF, 2HF, 3. Odds: 1.65, 1.40, 7.20.
Also Ran: Just Katherine, Venti Valentine.
Click for the Equibase chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
Your 8/5 favorite Raging Sea pulls away in the G2 Shuvee S. at Saratoga under Flavien Prat for trainer Chad Brown! 🏆
The third stakes win for this 4YO filly by Curlin. pic.twitter.com/nlSz35br84
— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) July 21, 2024
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