The 8-1 shot took the initiative in the 1 3/8-mile journey, led through easy fractions of :25.19 and :51.33 over the firm going, kicked for home as the one to catch and kept on finding to score by 1 1/4 lengths over heavily favored McKulick (GB) (Frankel {GB}).

Two for two as a juvenile for trainer Andreas Wohler in Germany, Parnac won one of five starts–a first-level allowance over the Aqueduct lawn Oct. 29–on these shores last term.

A narrow optional claiming winner downstate June 11, she entered off a third-place finish in Delaware's GIII Robert G. Dick Memorial S. July 1.

After that race's winner Sopran Basilea (Night of Thunder {Ire}) and runner-up Ever Summer (Summer Front) suffered fatal injuries over the Saratoga turf in their subsequent starts, Parnac was a precautionary scratch by NYRA officials out of an optional claimer at the Spa Aug. 11.

“I guess I have to be thankful to [NYRA President & CEO] David O'Rourke because we had to scratch Parnac from the three-other-than a few weeks ago,” winning trainer Christophe Clement said.

“We decided to run here, and it was the right decision. Sometimes, you have to take a shot. I thought it was a fair race, I'm delighted. Some people might say she stole the race, maybe she did steal the race, but you know what? She stole it in a nice way. She won pretty easily in the end.”

Clement added, “[GI] E.P. Taylor [Oct. 8 at Woodbine], Breeders' Cup, Long Island [at Aqueduct Racetrack]; we have a quite a few choices. Let's enjoy this for a few days.”

Pedigree Notes:

Parnac is the first U.S. stakes winner for the Aga Khan's Studs- based Zarak, a son of Dubawi (Ire) and G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and Prix de Diane heroine Zarkava (Ire) (Zamindar).

She becomes the 10th graded/group winner worldwide for her sire. The winner's group-placed dam's most recent produce is the 2-year-old gelding Kingdom of Stars (Fr) (Cloth of Stars {Ire}), who is unraced in France.

PARNAC goes wire-to-wire under @DavisJockey in the Grade 2 Flower Bowl Stakes for @clementstable! #Saratoga pic.twitter.com/K6vFwoFoEt

— NYRA () (@TheNYRA) September 2, 2023

Saturday, Saratoga
FLOWER BOWL S.-GII, $465,000, Saratoga, 9-2, 4yo/up, f/m, 1 3/8mT, 2:18.60, fm.
1–PARNAC (FR), 118, f, 4, by Zarak (Fr)
          1st Dam: Passing Burg (Fr) (GSP-Fr), by Sageburg (Ire)
          2nd Dam: Passing Lady (Fr), by Anabaa
          3rd Dam: Lune de Mai (GB), by Kenmare (Fr)
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. O-West Point Thoroughbreds and Dream With Me Stable; B-Jean-Pierre Dubois (FR); T-Christophe Clement; J-Dylan Davis. $275,000. Lifetime Record: 11-5-1-1, $467,517. Werk Nick Rating: D+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–McKulick (GB), 122, f, 4, Frankel (GB)–Astrelle (Ire), by Makfi (GB). (180,000gns Ylg '20 TATOCT). O-Klaravich Stables, Inc.; B-Essafinaat UK Ltd (GB); T-Chad C. Brown. $100,000.
3–Amazing Grace (Ger), 120, m, 5, Protectionist (Ger)–Amabelle (Ger), by Danehill Dancer (Ire). (€850,000 4yo '22 ARQDEC). O-Moyglare Stud Farm, Ltd.; B-Chr. Berglar (GER); T-Christophe Clement. $60,000.
Margins: 1 1/4, NK, 1. Odds: 8.20, 0.40, 2.30.
Also Ran: Tamarama (GB).
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

The post Zarak’s Parnac Lulls Them To Sleep in the Flower Bowl appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post