flavien prat | Horse Racing Free Tips

Shantisara Wins Again, Gives Brown Another QE II Cup Victory

In her fourth American start, Shantisara (IRE) made it three wins in a row with her victory in the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky. Under jockey Flavien Prat, the 3-year-old filly stalked the pace through the far turn and then poured on the speed in the stretch to win by five lengths.

In the starting gate for the G1 stakes, with the field of ten lined up and ready to go, Lady Speightspeare acted up, necessitating all ten horses be backed out as the fractious filly required a veterinarian's examination before being allowed to continue. Lady Speightspeare was a late scratch, reducing the field to nine.

They broke cleanly from the Keeneland gate, with Chad Brown trainee Technical Analysis taking the lead over the yielding turf course. Prat settled Shantisara in fourth around the first turn, improving to third down the backstretch. Around the final turn, with Technical Analysis still the front runner, Shantisara angled three-wide to find a running lane for her stretch bid.

In the Keeneland straight, Shantisara took over the lead from Technical Analysis early, easily drawing away from the field in the last furlong. Technical Analysis held on for second, Burning Ambition third. Nicest was fourth, with Queen Goddess, Closing Remarks, Cloudy Dawn, Flippant, and Emperess Josephine rounding out the order of finish.

The victory is trainer Chad Brown's fourth in the G1 stakes. He has also won with Dayatthespa (2012), Rushing Fall (2018), and Cambier Parc (2019).

The final time for the 1 1/8 miles was 1:48.86. Find this race's chart here.

Shantisara paid $7.00, $3.80, and $3.00. Technical Analysis paid $4.20 and $3.80. Burning Ambition paid $6.20.

“I expected her to run really well because (of) the way she breezed last time (5 furlongs in 1:03.40 over the turf at Keeneland a week earlier). She improves all the time. She's coming along. This filly, she has a really good talent. She handled the turf really well here,” Baldo Hernandez, assistant to Chad Brown, said after the race.

“It was a good run. I was really pleased with the draw (post 3), to be honest. I thought the good horses were around me, and I was able to keep tracking them. She made a really good move around the turn – she came really handy around the turn – and when I asked her to make a move she responded well,” Prat told the Keeneland Press Office after the G1 stakes. “She broke well and I was able to tuck her in right away and she switched off nice. I was traveling super and, like I said, when it was time to go, she was there for me.”

Bred in Ireland by Oliver Donlon, Shantisara is by Coulsty (IRE) out of the Dalakhani mare Kharana (IRE). The 3-year-old filly is owned by Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables LLC, and Robert LaPenta. She was consigned by Aguiar Bloodstock and sold to agent Federico Barberini for $13,171 at the 2020 Tattersalls Guineas Breeze-Up Sale. With her win in the G2 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup, Shantisara has three wins in six starts in 2021, for a lifetime record of 9-5-2-0 and career earnings of $788,108.

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Neptune’s Storm Returns To Best Distance In Lure Stakes At Santa Anita

Neptune's Storm, a versatile son of prolific turf sire Stormy Atlantic, returns to a distance he fancies—one mile on grass—in next Saturday's $70,000 Lure Stakes for three-year-olds and up at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif.

The bay gelding is coming off an eventful ninth-place finish in the Grade 2 John Henry Turf Championship at a mile and a quarter, the longest route ever attempted in his 23 career starts.

“A mile is a better distance for him,” said trainer Peter Miller, alluding to the tractable campaigner's record of five wins, one second, and one third over that venue.

Leading rider Flavien Prat, who won the restricted Wickerr Stakes on Neptune's Storm at a mile on Del Mar's turf course July 18, will be back aboard.

“He's a nice horse that tries hard,” said Miller, who has had Neptune's Storm for his last four races, the gelding having previously been trained by Richard Baltas and earlier Bill Morey.

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Flavien Prat Pilots Four Winners Monday At Santa Anita

Claimed out of a double digit defeat for $40,000 in her most recent start, the Leonard Powell-trained Bye Bye Bertie left seven rivals in her wake as she powered home to a 5 ½ length win in Monday's $63,000 Santa Anita allowance feature. Originally scheduled to be ridden by Victor Espinoza, she provided leading man Flavien Prat with his fourth win on the day and 15th through seven racing days while covering one mile in 1:37.98.

Hustled from her outside post position, Bye Bye Bertie was caught five-wide into the Club House turn but settled nicely in the run up the backside for Prat. Into the bridle and on the move around the far turn, she was three-deep turning for home and easily blew by Stella Noir and heavily favored Moraz as she marched home under a vigorous hand ride.

“She broke well but we got stuck wide early,” said Prat, who picked the mount up Monday morning from Victor Espinoza, who departed earlier to attend his mother's funeral in Mexico. “We were able to tuck in on the backside and she kicked on very well through the stretch.”

Beaten 12 ½ lengths in a first condition allowance/optional claimer on Aug. 22 at Del Mar, Bye Bye Bertie was entered for an optional $50,000 tag today and was off at 5-1, returning $12.60, $4.40 and $3.00.

“She was quite nervous when we got her,” said Powell. “She's settled quite a bit and we were hoping she'd run well.”

A 5-year-old mare by the Distorted Humor stallion Alternation, out of the Ready's Image mare Dream of Bertie, Bye Bye Bertie has been a popular commodity at the claim box. Haltered for $50,000 three starts back at Churchill Downs on May 31, she was claimed out of a $40,000 win at one mile on turf July 17 at Del Mar prior to her last start on Aug. 22.

Owned by Gatto Racing, LLC, All Schlaich Stables, LLC, Mathilde Powell, Arthur Spencer and James Cahill, Bye Bye Bertie, in her first start at Santa Anita, picked up $37,800 for the win, increasing her earnings to $230,888 from an overall race record of 18-7-1-2.

Forwardly placed into the far turn, Moraz had no answer for the winner and checked in second, 3 ¾ lengths in front of Stella Noir. Third three starts back in the Grade 2 Santa Anita Oaks, she was off at 3-5 with Umberto Rispoli up and paid $2.60 and $2.20.

Sent to the lead from the rail by Edwin Maldonado, Stella Noir was done turning for home and finished three lengths better than longshot Sweet Pearl. Off at 5-1, Stella Noir paid $2.80 to show.

Fractions on the race were 22.46, 46.94, 1:12.31 and 1:25.05.

Live racing resumes with first post time for a nine-race card on Friday at 1 p.m.

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Blowout Outlasts Regal Glory To Win First Lady, Earn BC F&M Turf Spot

Blowout may not have blown the field away, but she did have plenty of gas for a gate-to-wire win in the Grade 1 First Lady Stakes at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky., earning a spot in the starting gate for the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf.

The Chad Brown-trained mare broke from post nine and jetted out to the lead in the opening strides of the one-mile stakes, drawing out to a two-length advantage entering the first turn. La Signare and Regal Glory trailed her within striking distance down the backstretch, but Blowout was able to run easily on the lead, setting fractions of :23.76 for the first quarter and :47.75 for the half mile.

Around the far turn, jockey Jose Ortiz made a bold move with Regal Glory, sending her zipping up on Blowout's outside, nearly on even terms entering the stretch. On the good Keeneland turf, the two entered the stretch dueling, with Ortiz and Regal Glory trying to get past Blowout in the race's final furlong. Under jockey Flavien Prat, Blowout was able to hold on, winning the G1 First Lady by a half-length. Empress Josephine was third. The final time for the one-mile stakes was 1:34.86.

Find this race's chart here.

Blowout paid $12.60, $6.40, and $4.80. Regal Glory paid $7.40 and $5.00. Empress Josephine paid $8.20.

The First Lady Stakes is a part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series. Winners receive a fees-paid, guaranteed spot in the starting gate for the corresponding Breeders' Cup race, to be held Nov. 6 at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif.

“She's a really special filly for us, for my boss, Chad Brown. She does everything we ask. She's improving a lot. She came here to Keeneland and gave a really good performance. She's as good as she can be. She tries every time she runs,” assistant trainer Baldo Hernandez said after the First Lady.

“As usual she showed a lot of speed out of the gate, and I was able to get myself comfortable on the lead where I didn't have too much pressure. She relaxed well down the backside. She fought really hard down the lane because she lost the lead for a little bit, but she dug in and fought back and really made a great stretch run,” jockey Flavien Prat told the Keeneland Communications Office after the race.

Bred in England by Dayton Investments Ltd., Blowout is a 5-year-old mare by Dansili (GB) out of the Deep Impact (JPN) mare Beauty Parlour (GB), winner of the 2012 French One Thousand Guineas. She is owned by Peter Brant and trained by Chad Brown. Blowout was consigned by The Castlebridge Consignment and sold for $481,095 to Whitebirch at the 2016 Goffs November Foals Sale. With her win in the G1 First Lady, she has two wins in three starts in 2021, for a lifetime record of five wins in 14 starts and career earnings of $988,600.

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